diff --git a/app/controllers/openid_connect/authorization_controller.rb b/app/controllers/openid_connect/authorization_controller.rb
index e35fe9164a9..f355665a61a 100644
--- a/app/controllers/openid_connect/authorization_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/openid_connect/authorization_controller.rb
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ class AuthorizationController < ApplicationController
     include BillableEventTrackable
     include ForcedReauthenticationConcern
 
+    before_action :block_biometric_requests_in_production, only: [:index]
     before_action :build_authorize_form_from_params, only: [:index]
     before_action :pre_validate_authorize_form, only: [:index]
     before_action :sign_out_if_prompt_param_is_login_and_user_is_signed_in, only: [:index]
@@ -44,6 +45,13 @@ def index
 
     private
 
+    def block_biometric_requests_in_production
+      if params['biometric_comparison_required'] == 'true' &&
+         FeatureManagement.idv_block_biometrics_requests?
+        render_not_acceptable
+      end
+    end
+
     def check_sp_active
       return if @authorize_form.service_provider&.active?
       redirect_to sp_inactive_error_url
diff --git a/lib/feature_management.rb b/lib/feature_management.rb
index 664f6466f10..db78c5efbac 100644
--- a/lib/feature_management.rb
+++ b/lib/feature_management.rb
@@ -162,4 +162,9 @@ def self.idv_by_mail_only?
       outage_status.any_phone_vendor_outage? ||
       outage_status.phone_finder_outage?
   end
+
+  def self.idv_block_biometrics_requests?
+    (Identity::Hostdata.in_datacenter? && Identity::Hostdata.env == 'prod') ||
+      !IdentityConfig.store.doc_auth_selfie_capture_enabled
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/controllers/openid_connect/authorization_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/openid_connect/authorization_controller_spec.rb
index 6b362094969..6d46fc45f57 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/openid_connect/authorization_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/openid_connect/authorization_controller_spec.rb
@@ -999,12 +999,82 @@
         )
       end
 
-      it 'sets biometric_comparison_required to true if biometric comparison is required' do
-        params[:biometric_comparison_required] = true
+      describe 'handling the :biometric_comparison_required parameter' do
+        before do
+          allow(IdentityConfig.store).to receive(:doc_auth_selfie_capture_enabled).and_return(true)
+          allow(Identity::Hostdata).to receive(:in_datacenter?).and_return(in_datacenter)
+          allow(Identity::Hostdata).to receive(:env).and_return(env)
+        end
 
-        action
+        context 'when the param value :biometric_comparison_required is "true"' do
+          before do
+            params[:biometric_comparison_required] = 'true'
+            action
+          end
+
+          context 'and we are not in production' do
+            context 'because we are not deployed' do
+              let(:in_datacenter) { false }
+              let(:env) { 'prod' }
+
+              it 'sets the session :biometric_comparison_required value to true' do
+                expect(session[:sp][:biometric_comparison_required]).to eq(true)
+              end
+            end
+
+            context 'because the environment is not set to "prod"' do
+              let(:in_datacenter) { true }
+              let(:env) { 'test' }
+
+              it 'sets the session :biometric_comparison_required value to true' do
+                expect(session[:sp][:biometric_comparison_required]).to eq(true)
+              end
+            end
+          end
+
+          # Temporary barrier to public presentation. Update or remove
+          # when we are ready to accept :biometric_comparison_required
+          # in production. See LG-11962.
+          context 'in production' do
+            let(:in_datacenter) { true }
+            let(:env) { 'prod' }
+
+            it 'does not set the :sp value' do
+              expect(session).not_to include(:sp)
+            end
 
-        expect(session[:sp][:biometric_comparison_required]).to eq(true)
+            it 'renders the unacceptable page' do
+              expect(controller).to render_template('pages/not_acceptable')
+            end
+          end
+        end
+
+        context 'when the param value :biometric_comparison_required is not set' do
+          before do
+            # Should be a no-op, but let's be paranoid.
+            params.delete(:biometric_comparison_required)
+
+            action
+          end
+
+          context 'in production' do
+            let(:in_datacenter) { true }
+            let(:env) { 'prod' }
+
+            it 'sets the session :biometric_comparison_required value to false' do
+              expect(session[:sp][:biometric_comparison_required]).to eq(false)
+            end
+          end
+
+          context 'not in production' do
+            let(:in_datacenter) { false }
+            let(:env) { 'test' }
+
+            it 'sets the session :biometric_comparison_required value to false' do
+              expect(session[:sp][:biometric_comparison_required]).to eq(false)
+            end
+          end
+        end
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/features/openid_connect/authorization_confirmation_spec.rb b/spec/features/openid_connect/authorization_confirmation_spec.rb
index 25bafb60992..40e1aeccb17 100644
--- a/spec/features/openid_connect/authorization_confirmation_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/openid_connect/authorization_confirmation_spec.rb
@@ -105,4 +105,15 @@ def create_user_and_remember_device
       end
     end
   end
+
+  context 'when asked for selfie verification in production' do
+    before do
+      allow(Rails.env).to receive(:production?).and_return(true)
+      visit visit_idp_from_ial2_oidc_sp(biometric_comparison_required: true)
+    end
+
+    it 'redirects to the 406 (unacceptable) page' do
+      expect(page.status_code).to eq(406)
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/lib/feature_management_spec.rb b/spec/lib/feature_management_spec.rb
index c428a837382..ed19e29701d 100644
--- a/spec/lib/feature_management_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/feature_management_spec.rb
@@ -540,4 +540,38 @@
       end
     end
   end
+
+  describe '#idv_block_biometrics_requests?' do
+    before do
+      allow(IdentityConfig.store).to receive(:doc_auth_selfie_capture_enabled).
+        and_return(selfie_capture_enabled)
+    end
+
+    context 'selfies are disabled' do
+      let(:selfie_capture_enabled) { false }
+
+      it 'says to block biometric requests' do
+        expect(FeatureManagement.idv_block_biometrics_requests?).to eq(true)
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'selfies are enabled' do
+      let(:selfie_capture_enabled) { true }
+
+      it 'says to not block biometric requests' do
+        expect(FeatureManagement.idv_block_biometrics_requests?).to eq(false)
+      end
+
+      context 'in production' do
+        before do
+          allow(Identity::Hostdata).to receive(:in_datacenter?).and_return(true)
+          allow(Identity::Hostdata).to receive(:env).and_return('prod')
+        end
+
+        it 'says to block biometric requests' do
+          expect(FeatureManagement.idv_block_biometrics_requests?).to eq(true)
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/support/oidc_auth_helper.rb b/spec/support/oidc_auth_helper.rb
index 0aa6ad7beb6..6613f936174 100644
--- a/spec/support/oidc_auth_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/support/oidc_auth_helper.rb
@@ -79,7 +79,8 @@ def ial2_params(prompt: nil,
                   nonce: SecureRandom.hex,
                   client_id: OIDC_ISSUER,
                   acr_values: Saml::Idp::Constants::IAL2_AUTHN_CONTEXT_CLASSREF,
-                  tid: nil)
+                  tid: nil,
+                  biometric_comparison_required: false)
     ial2_params = {
       client_id: client_id,
       response_type: 'code',
@@ -91,6 +92,9 @@ def ial2_params(prompt: nil,
     }
     ial2_params[:tid] = tid if tid
     ial2_params[:prompt] = prompt if prompt
+    if biometric_comparison_required
+      ial2_params[:biometric_comparison_required] = 'true'
+    end
     ial2_params
   end