{"id":8388,"date":"2024-03-04T15:49:23","date_gmt":"2024-03-04T14:49:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greens-efa.eu\/opinions\/?p=8388"},"modified":"2024-03-08T08:59:21","modified_gmt":"2024-03-08T07:59:21","slug":"protecting-privacy-biometric-mass-surveillance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greens-efa.eu\/opinions\/protecting-privacy-biometric-mass-surveillance\/","title":{"rendered":"Protecting Privacy: Biometric Mass Surveillance and the AI Act"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Our fight continues<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>
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Throughout the EU, governments are experimenting with highly intrusive systems of facial recognition and other biometric mass surveillance in public spaces. Biometric surveillance systems encompass not only remote biometric identification, but also emotion recognition and biometric categorisation; all undermine the core of fundamental rights in different ways. Their implementation can create a feeling of constant surveillance, give the parties deploying biometric identification a position of uncontrollable power, and indirectly dissuade the exercise of the freedom of assembly and other fundamental rights, such as our freedom of speech and of information, our rights to privacy, to a fair trial and to non-discrimination.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Thus, biometric surveillance is an enormous breach of our right to privacy. It happens without our consent and its effects are chilling. Technology that tracks us throughout public space should simply not exist in a democratic society, nor should technology that assumes that we are nervous or stressed based on its own assessment, or that assumes that we are \u2018abnormal\u2019 based on how we dress, look or act.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Greens\/EFA MEPs\u00a0Patrick Breyer<\/a>,\u00a0Sergey Lagodinsky<\/a>\u00a0and Kim van Sparrentak<\/a><\/em> tell us why it is more important than ever to continue fighting for our right to privacy.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Fighting for your right to privacy<\/h3>\n<\/div>
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But in the face of this looming threat, there are voices of resistance. For years, civil society organizations and the Greens\/EFA have been at the forefront of the fight against biometric mass surveillance, recognizing the threat of such technology to our fundamental values and democracy.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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We led the campaign<\/a>, organised hearings, workshops, and public conversations with experts, screened documentaries, developed a video game, and producied campaign materials. This includes a video on 5 things you need to know<\/a> about BMS, screened in cinemas<\/a> and on social media.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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\n \"Greens\/EFA\n
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From left to right: MEPs Petar Vitanov, Karen Melchior, Birgit Sippel, Patrick Breyer, Konstantin Macher (NGO Digital Courage) at the Greens\/EFA event with the Reclaim Your Face campaign in the EP.<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>
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Throughout our campaign, a strong collaboration with civil society was key to raising awareness and influence positions – we organised <\/a>public events with shadows from other political groups,<\/a> shared <\/a>their articles and petitions<\/a>  and supported the <\/a>European Citizens\u2019 Initiative<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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The campaign went to Italy<\/a> and Greece to see the deployment of biometric surveillance and commissioned a YouGov representative survey on the public opinion on this topic in 10 EU countries, a study<\/a> on BMS in Member States and a mapping<\/a> of biometric surveillance projects in the EU. Ahead of crucial votes<\/a> in the European Parliament, the Greens\/EFA also mobilised other political groups and brought attention to dangerous situations. For example, we called out the dangerous the situation in France<\/a>, where mass surveillance was to be allowed during the Olympics and where, some months later, the illegal use of facial recognition<\/a> was disclosed. They also raised concerns about Serbia, where new laws on biometric surveillance<\/a> threaten democratic rights and freedoms. We fought hard in the negotiations on the AI Act to make a ban on mass surveillance part of the regulation. <\/p>\n<\/div>

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\n \"Allowing\n
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During the vote on the AI Act in June 2023, Greens\/EFA MEPs voted against allowing real time face recognition.<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>
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Our efforts have not gone unnoticed. In 2023, the European Parliament took a historic stand<\/a>, calling for a full ban on biometric mass surveillance for law enforcement purposes. This landmark decision marked a significant victory for privacy advocates, but our work is far from over.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Indiscriminate surveillance of Europeans is a severe violation of everyone’s fundamental rights. This became part of the Parliaments position alongside with further regulation of AI technology.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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After this, the negotiations on the AI Act started with the European Commission and the Member States (the so-called \u2018trilogues\u2019). Member States in the Council concluded negotiations in December 2023 and agreed to the text in February 2024. We expect the European Parliament to vote on it as early as March 2024.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Biometric Mass Surveillance: What about the bans?<\/h3>\n<\/div>
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The Greens\/EFA negotiation team fought very hard to protect fundamental rights. We notably fought for a complete ban of real time biometric identification (best known as facial recognition) in public spaces<\/strong> throughout the trilogues.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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