European Union (EU) may pave the way for widespread use face recognition. Tomorrow, Thursday, February 8, the European Parliament will vote on amending the law facilitating the exchange of data between law enforcement agencies. police It will include images of the faces of alleged criminals. Despite Brussels Argues giving police forces more powers is ‘essential’ to fight crime crimeDozens of NGOs say “this will expand the state’s jurisdiction and mass surveillance“It causes serious harm, especially to marginalized and vulnerable groups.”
The current legislation, known as Prüm I, allows police authorities to access databases of other Member States. DNA-most finger prints or registration of vehicles of activity suspects criminals. So, for example, Spanish police can compare data found at a crime scene with data received by their counterparts in France. This cooperation framework, which has been in effect since 2008, “has been decisive in solving many problems” Crimes inside Europe (…) and the fight against it organized crime, medicinesHE terrorism, sexual exploitationhuman trafficking and other criminal activities,” he said. European Commission.
In December 2021, Brussels proposed expanding the law to give police and police more powers. europol. Last November, a political agreement was reached to create a centralized system that would automate the exchange of data, including facial images, on suspicious citizens. MPs will decide on Thursday whether the deal will continue or not. Everything indicates that this will be the case; because – as seen in the vote of the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee in December – the proposal has the support of conservatives, social democrats, liberals and the far right.
Door opens to potential criminalization of all EU citizens
citizen concern
Known as modernization of the regulatory framework Pruem IIDoes not legalize facial recognition by himself, but allows facial images to be linked with police databases. Civil society regrets that in practice this will encourage Member States to adopt this controversial technology. “There are not enough safeguards to ensure that rights are not violated. human rights“Itxaso Domínguez, political advisor to European Digital Rights (EDRI), Europe’s largest NGO network, also warns Olazábal Internet.
Although the Commission reiterated that this measure aimed to “prioritize security” and fight crime more effectively, EDRI condemned that “non-suspects, acquitted persons, victims and witnesses are routinely included in criminal databases without legal basis in many countries of the world.” EU“The law also stipulates that police can only share facial images of people sentenced to one year in prison. prison, a low threshold that makes it impossible to distinguish between serious crimes and other minor crimes. “The door opens to potential criminalization of all European citizens,” adds the expert.
Discrimination and transparency
The regulations assume that 27 police and judicial institutions equally guarantee the protection of the rights of the accused. However, there are visible differences between Member States’ assessments. illegal. Since 2018, Hungary has been punishing those who help immigrants in irregular situations with one year in prison. This fact may aggravate the expansion of the law that will be voted on tomorrow.
Additionally, experts warn that the inclusion of facial images will harm vulnerable communities, especially those who face discrimination from police. “If you live in a poor neighborhood, you will be suspected of criminal activity,” says Domínguez de Olazábal. Added to this is the fact that facial recognition systems are highly imprecise in detecting racialized individuals.
Many people are unaware that their data is being handled unfairly and illegally and are unable to exercise their right to rectification.
Civil society organizations also condemned the “lack of transparency of the police” that would worsen the impact of the law on society. “Many people are unaware that their data is being handled unfairly and illegally and are unable to exercise their rights to compensation,” EDRI explains. Police databases can collect sensitive information on up to 10% of the population.
EDRI denounces that the extension of this law reflects the EU’s “growing trend” towards a surveillance state that “erodes the presumption of innocence” and aggravates the “general crisis of the rule of law”. Likewise, he accuses the Commission of not seeking a “less intrusive alternative” and believes that the Court of Justice of the European Union will paralyze this controversial measure. If definitively approved, Member States will have until 12 December 2024 to transpose the Directive into their national legislation.