The trade association NetChoice has launched a campaign in Massachusetts aimed at convincing state lawmakers to reject a proposed moratorium on the use of facial recognition technology for law enforcement purposes.

Massachusetts lawmakers are considering banning the use of facial recognition by police and other law enforcement agencies until there are rules governing the use of technology. NetChoice—which represents Google and other developers of the technology—said in a statement Monday that facial recognition helps law enforcement ensure public safety.

The group released a survey finding a majority of respondents didn't support an outright ban of the technology.

"Every day facial recognition technologies help law enforcement to generate leads in cases, such as homicide, rape, armed robbery and other violent crime, as well as for non-enforcement reasons, including identifying elderly persons stricken with dementia, finding lost and missing children, identifying homeless persons with mental illness and identifying deceased persons," said Carl Szabo, vice president and general counsel of NetChoice.

Massachusetts is only the latest battleground on the issue, with multiple cities and states considering legislation restricting the technology amid concerns of its implications for privacy and government surveillance. The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts has been pushing for a moratorium through a "Press Pause on Face Surveillance" campaign.

"As a nationwide leader in both technology and liberty, Massachusetts must demonstrate leadership by ensuring that rapid technological progress doesn't get out ahead of our civil rights," Carol Rose, executive director of ACLU of Massachusetts, said in an April 3 statement. "World-renowned artificial intelligence experts and civil liberties advocates agree: it's time to hit pause on unregulated government use of face surveillance and other biometric monitoring technologies."

In addition to the survey, NetChoice is asking state residents to sign a petition to reject the moratorium.