Ban Biometric Mass Surveillance

Throughout the European Union, governments are experimenting with highly intrusive systems of facial recognition and other biometric mass surveillance in public spaces. 

At the same time, there has been global uproar against the use of these technologies due to the alarming consequences for fundamental rights, fuelling mass surveillance and racial discrimination. 

In the United States, lawmakers have already started to enact strong legislation that bans the use of these technologies. Currently, there is no European legislation that regulates the use of biometric technologies in public spaces. 

The Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament is calling on the European Commission to acknowledge the adverse effect of biometric surveillance methods on our fundamental rights, and to impose a ban of biometric mass surveillance technologies in the European Union. 

Biometric surveillance is an enormous breach of our right to privacy. It happens without our consent and its effects are chilling. Do we want to live in a society in which people are tracked, judged and classified based on their appearance and behaviour? We do not think so. That is why the Greens/EFA Group is calling for a ban of biometric mass surveillance technologies in public spaces. 

By the end of 2021, we want the European Commission to propose a ban on facial surveillance and behavioural detection technology in public spaces. We need to act now to prevent the false incrimination of individuals and the discrimination of certain groups of people. Let’s stand up for a society of trust, not of suspicion.

Annika Ojala – Rights and Democracy Campaigner
annika.ojala@europarl.europa.eu