european union flags

European Union Considers Policy to Regulate Use of Facial Recognition Technology

As countries across Europe grapple with the consequences of facial recognition software, EU officials are seeking to limit what the technology can collect and how the data is used.

Officials for the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, are planning regulations that would give EU citizens explicit rights over use of their facial recognition data and place strict limits on what the technology can collect, The Financial Times reported.

The aim is to limit the “indiscriminate use of facial recognition technology” by companies, law enforcement and other public institutions, according to an official who spoke to the Times. The regulations mirror the EU’s moves to increase oversight of organizations that handle the personal data of citizens through the General Data Protection Regulation, which went into effect in 2018.

While the commission’s plans to legislate facial recognition are in the early stages, the Times reported that a government document circulating among officials states that the EU “should set a world-standard for AI regulation” and set “clear, predictable and uniform rules … which adequately protect individuals.” The document adds that the proposals would build on existing obligations under GDPR.

“AI applications can pose significant risks to fundamental rights. Unregulated AI systems may take decisions affecting citizens without explanation, possibility of recourse or even a responsible interlocutor,” the document reads, according to the Times.

The incoming president of the commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said she will introduce legislation to present a “coordinated European approach on the human and ethical implications of artificial intelligence” within her first 100 days in office. She will take office on December 1.

“We have to find our European way, balancing the flow and wide use of data while preserving high privacy, security, safety and ethical standards,” von der Leyen writes in her political guidelines for the EU. “We already achieved this with the General Data Protection Regulation, and many countries have followed our path.”

As facial recognition technology becomes more widely used around the world by law enforcement authorities, governments and private companies, politicians and activists have advocated for more oversight of its applications. In Sweden last week, the country’s national data protection authority imposed the first GDPR fine for misuse of facial recognition technology on a school that used it to track student attendance.

And in the U.K., the Information Commissioner’s Office opened an investigation into the use of facial recognition in a busy part of London near King’s Cross Station. Elizabeth Denham, the information commissioner, said on August 15 that she was “deeply concerned about the growing use of facial recognition in public spaces.” The software was being deployed by a private company.

“Scanning people’s faces as they lawfully go about their daily lives in order to identify them is a potential threat to privacy that should concern us all,” Denham said. “That is especially the case if it is done without people’s knowledge or understanding.”

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Integration Imagination: The Future of Connected Operations

    Security teams that collaborate cross-functionally and apply imagination and creativity to envision and design their ideal integrated ecosystem will have the biggest upside to corporate security and operational benefits. Read Now

  • Smarter Access Starts with Flexibility

    Today’s workplaces are undergoing a rapid evolution, driven by hybrid work models, emerging smart technologies, and flexible work schedules. To keep pace with growing workplace demands, buildings are becoming more dynamic – capable of adapting to how people move, work, and interact in real-time. Read Now

  • Trends Keeping an Eye on Business Decisions

    Today, AI continues to transform the way data is used to make important business decisions. AI and the cloud together are redefining how video surveillance systems are being used to simulate human intelligence by combining data analysis, prediction, and process automation with minimal human intervention. Many organizations are upgrading their surveillance systems to reap the benefits of technologies like AI and cloud applications. Read Now

  • The Future is Happening Outside the Cloud

    For years, the cloud has captivated the physical security industry. And for good reason. Remote access, elastic scalability and simplified maintenance reshaped how we think about deploying and managing systems. But as the number of cameras grows and resolutions push from HD to 4K and beyond, the cloud’s limits are becoming unavoidable. Bandwidth bottlenecks. Latency lags. Rising storage costs. These are not abstract concerns. Read Now

  • Right-Wing Activist Charlie Kirk Dies After Utah Valley University Shooting

    Charlie Kirk, a popular conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, died Wednesday after being shot during an on-campus event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah Read Now

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities