The use of Facial recognition technologies has proliferated both in public and private sectors in countries around the world. While their proponents highlight the ability of these technologies to improve service delivery and ensure safety, the critics point to significant risks they create to privacy, non-discrimination and other fundamental rights. This presentation will introduce the Cambridge Handbook of Facial Recognition in the Modern State where 34 contributors from 5 world regions (Europe, US, Asia Pacific, North America and Latin America) discuss the legal and ethical challenges that these technologies raise, whether the existing legal frameworks in different countries are fit for purpose in addressing these challenges and what are the most recent and possible future efforts to regulate – and tame – these controversial tools.