Responsible AI investments and safeguards for Facial Recognition

We're committed to helping developers and organizations use AI responsibly by protecting the rights and safety of customers. We're announcing three service updates to support the use of Azure Cognitive Services consistent with our [AI Principles](https://www.microsoft.com/ai/responsible-ai?SilentAuth=1&wa=wsignin1.0). **1\. Limited Access** [Limited Access](https://aka.ms/limitedaccesscogservices) services require registration to support responsible use and are subject to [specific license terms](https://aka.ms/MCAServiceSpecificTerms) (to be updated July, 1 2022). Beginning June, 21 2022, customers must register and receive approval for access to these services in our public clouds. Limited Access applies to the following: * Face API: Identify and Verify features only * Computer Vision: Celebrity Recognition feature only * Azure Video Indexer: Celebrity Recognition and Face Identify features only * Custom Neural Voice: Pro features * Speaker Recognition: All features Features of these services that are not listed above are available without registration. **2\. Feature Retirements in Face API** We are retiring Face API attributes that predict emotion, gender, age, smile, facial hair, hair, and makeup. Read more about this decision [here](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/responsible-ai-investments-and-safeguards-for-facial-recognition/). We will also retire the Snapshot API, which allowed biometric data transfer from one Face subscription to another. Existing customers have until **June, 30 2023** to use the emotion, gender, age, smile, facial hair, hair, and makeup attributes and the Snapshot API through Face API. **3\. Migration of Face API out of North Central US Region** Starting on 21 June 2022, Face API will be retired from the **North Central US** Azure region. If you have Face API resources deployed in the North Central US region, please migrate to another Azure region by **June, 30 2023\.** Otherwise, you may lose access to your resources. You can begin migrating **June, 21 2022**.We recommend you migrate [using this guidance](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cognitive-services/face/face-api-how-to-topics/how-to-migrate-face-data). This migration API will be retired on June, 30 2023. * Azure Cognitive Services * Azure Video Indexer * Compliance * Features * Regions & Datacenters * Services * Retirements * [ Azure Cognitive Services](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/products/cognitive-services/)