Biometrics
Biometrics refers to the use of analytical tools and devices which capture, record and/or process people’s physical or behavioural data. This can include faces (commonly known as facial recognition), fingerprints, DNA, irises, walking style (gait), voice as well as other characteristics. Under the EU’s data protection laws, this biometric data is especially sensitive. It is linked to our individual identities, and can also reveal protected and intimate information about who we are, where we go, our health status and more. When used to indiscriminately target people in public spaces, to predict behaviours and emotions, or in situations of imbalances of power, biometric surveillance such as facial recognition has been shown to violate a wide range of fundamental rights.
Filter resources
-
Policing: Council of the European Union close to approving position on extended biometric data-sharing network
The Council of the European Union is close to reaching an agreement on its negotiating position on the 'Prüm II' Regulation, which would extend an existing police biometric data-sharing network to include facial images and offer the possibility for national authorities to open up their databases of "police records" for searches by other member states.
Read more
-
The AI Act: EU’s chance to regulate harmful border technologies
The AI Act will be the first regional mechanism of its kind in the world, but it needs a serious update to meaningfully address the profileration of harmful technologies tested and deployed at Europe’s borders.
Read more
-
Will the European Parliament stand up for our rights by prohibiting biometric mass surveillance in the AI Act?
On 10 May, EDRi and 52 organisations wrote to the Members of the European Parliament to ask them to ban the remote use of these technologies in publicly accessible spaces to protect all the places where we exercise our rights and come together as communities from becoming sites of mass surveillance where we are all treated as suspects.
Read more
-
Regulating Migration Tech: How the EU’s AI Act can better protect people on the move
As the European Union amends the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) exploring the impact of AI systems on marginalised communities is vital. AI systems are increasingly developed, tested and deployed to judge and control migrants and people on the move in harmful ways. How can the AI Act prevent this?
Read more
-
Civil society reacts to European Parliament AI Act draft Report
This joint statement evaluates how far the IMCO-LIBE draft Report on the EU’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act, released 20th April 2022, addresses civil society's recommendations. We call on Members of the European Parliament to support amendments that centre people affected by AI systems, prevent harm in the use of AI systems, and offer comprehensive protection for fundamental rights in the AI Act.
Read more
-
The EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act: Civil society amendments
Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems are increasingly used in all areas of public life. It is vital that the AI Act addresses the structural, societal, political and economic impacts of the use of AI, is future-proof, and prioritises affected people, the protection of fundamental rights and democratic values. The following issue papers detail the amendments of civil society following the Civil Society Statement on the AI Act, released in November 2021.
Read more
-
The European Parliament must go further to empower people in the AI act
Today, 21 April, POLITICO Europe published a leak of the much-anticipated draft report on the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act proposal. The draft report has taken important steps towards a more people-focused approach, but it has failed to introduce crucial red lines and safeguards on the uses of AI, including ‘place-based’ predictive policing systems, remote biometric identification, emotion recognition, discriminatory or manipulative biometric categorisation, and uses of AI undermining the right to asylum.
Read more
-
How can you influence the AI Act in order to ban biometric mass surveillance across Europe?
The EU is currently negotiating the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act. This future law offers the chance to effectively ban biometric mass surveillance. This article aims to offer an overview of how the EU negotiates its laws and the key AI Act moments in which people can make their voices heard.
Read more
-
About ClearviewAI’s mockery of human rights, those fighting it, and the need for EU to intervene
Clearview AI describes itself as ‘The World’s Largest Facial Network’. However, a quick search online would reveal that the company has been involved in several scandals, covering the front page of many publications for all the wrong reasons. In fact, since New York Times broke the story about Clearview AI in 2020, the company has been constantly criticised by activists, politicians, and data protection authorities around the world. Read below a summary of the many actions taken against the company that hoarded 10 billion images of our faces.
Read more
-
Italian DPA fines Clearview AI for illegally monitoring and processing biometric data of Italian citizens
On 9 March 2022, the Italian Data Protection Authority fined the US-based facial recognition company Clearview AI EUR 20 million after finding that the company monitored and processed biometric data of individuals on Italian territory without a legal basis. The fine is the highest expected according to the General Data Protection Regulation, and it was motivated by a complaint sent by the Hermes Centre in May 2021 in a joint action with EDRi members Privacy International, noyb, and Homo Digitalis—in addition to complaints sent by some individuals and to a series of investigations launched in the wake of the 2020 revelations of Clearview AI business practices.
Read more
-
The EU AI Act and fundamental rights: Updates on the political process
The negotiations of the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA) are finally taking shape. With lead negotiators named, the publication of Council compromises, and the formation of civil society coalitions on the AIA, 2022 will be an important year for the regulation of AI systems.
Read more
-
Building the biometric state: Police powers and discrimination
This report examines the development and deployment of biometric identification technologies by police and border forces in Europe, and warns that the increasing use of the technology is likely to exacerbate existing problems with racist policing and ethnic profiling.
Read more