Words have a definition and a connotation, and meaning is inferred from context cues. What a word means is based on its prevailing word in this context.

No one reasonably uses "facial recognition" or "I recognized a face" to mean "I detected that there was, indeed, a face there."

In this case, the statute doesn't even say "facial recognition". It discusses storing a "scan of face geometry" such that it identifies an individual, and clarifies that an ordinary photograph doesn't count.

Ok if the law defines the term, that answers my question. I wasn't sure what level of grey area connotation was being discussed.