European Parliament calls for ban on facial-recognition systems in public spaces

The European Parliament urged a ban on automatic facial recognition in public spaces and called for stringent safeguards when artificial intelligence is used by the police. The resolution was backed by 377 of 687 MEPs.

To combat discrimination and ensure the right to privacy, MEPs demand strong safeguards when artificial intelligence tools are used in law enforcement. Press release → https://t.co/nImAZz0EpV pic.twitter.com/PsHLZD4rW8

— European Parliament (@Europarl_EN) October 6, 2021

Politicians say that surveillance of citizens should occur only if they are suspected of committing a crime. They voiced concerns about algorithmic bias in AI and said that to avoid discrimination, both human oversight and legal protections are necessary.

«Системы идентификации на основе ИИ часто неверно идентифицируют этнические меньшинства, ЛГБТ, пожилых людей и женщин, что особенно беспокоит в контексте правоохранительной и судебной систем», — говорится в заявлении парламента.

Lawmakers say that to ensure fundamental rights are respected when using these technologies, algorithms must be “transparent, auditable, and well-documented.” Where possible, public authorities should adopt open-source software, they added.

The Parliament also called for a ban on the use of private facial-recognition databases, such as Clearview AI, alongside behavioural-crime-prediction systems used by police.

Bulgarian Socialist Party MEP Petar Vitanov said that the ban is linked to the inefficacy of facial-recognition systems in law enforcement, which often lead to discriminatory outcomes.

«We are categorically against predictive policing based on the use of AI, as well as any processing of biometric data leading to mass surveillance. This is a huge victory for all European citizens», — added the politician.

The adopted resolution is not legally binding. However, it may signal lawmakers’ willingness to back forthcoming bills, such as the Artificial Intelligence Act, a spokesman for the European Parliament said.

«The resolution presents an incomplete list of AI uses that lawmakers in the interior security arena deem problematic», — added he.

The politician also urged border guards to stop using biometric data to track travellers across the EU.

Back in April, the European Commission unveiled a bill on the use of AI within the EU. The document would ban the deployment of most mass-surveillance technologies against citizens, but would not affect facial-recognition systems.

Following the publication of the bill, the European Data Protection Supervisor called for restricting the use of biometric identification.

In June, rights groups criticised the bill and said that AI rules would open the door to mass surveillance.

At the end of June, European regulators urged the ban on facial recognition across the EU.

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