Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, told The Washington Post: "We need Congress to act, not just tech companies alone, that is the only way that we will guarantee that we will protect the lives of people."

The move came after IBM said it had stopped offering facial recognition technology altogether and Amazon announced a one-year moratorium on police use of its tool. 

Tech giants and police agencies have come under increased scrutiny over facial recognition, with pressure increasing in recent weeks following the death of George Floyd and calls for changes to policing.