The European Parliament on June 14 voted to ban authorities from using facial-recognition artificial intelligence (AI) technology, in a move described as “a historic and great success”, despite the fact that Brussels police already employ such systems.
AI facial recognition is typically used to authenticate individuals through ID verification services and works by pinpointing and measuring unique facial features from a given image.
MEPs at a meeting in Strasbourg rejected amendments to allow the use of facial recognition AI for law enforcement, and supported moves that propose a blanket ban on the practice.
The decision dashed the hopes of the centre-Right European People’s Party Group (EP), the main backers of the technology. Speaking at a press conference on June 13, EPP leader Manfred Weber argued that the system should be used in cases of missing persons and in identifying terrorists and that his party supported amendments to the proposed AI act to that end.
That position was echoed by European Commission representatives at the EC’s midday briefing on June 14.
However, in spite of that and Weber’s previous confidence in the EPP’s pro-facial recognition amendments, the calls were roundly rejected by the Parliament, with 327 against to 233 in favour. One journalist suggested to Weber that the failure have been due to the fact that many EPP MEPs were absent as they were attending the funeral of the late Silvio Berlusconi.
A motion proposing a blanket ban on the technology garnered 335 votes in favour and 235 against.
“Mass surveillance of EU citizens, as wanted by the EPP, is now off the table for the time being. This is a historic and great success,” said Cornelia Ernst, MEP for the German Left-wing party, Die Linke. Still, she believes the EP hasn’t gone far enough in taking preventative measures against AI.
‼️NEW
@Europarl_EN adopted its position on the AI Act.
This historic legislation has some important safeguards but is not ambitious enough.
✅We stopped the EPP & banned mass surveillanceBUT
❌AI in migration risks digital push-backs
❌Risk assessment is too weak pic.twitter.com/Vs3TmKo5SI— The Left in the European Parliament (@Left_EU) June 14, 2023
Meanwhile, Brussels police have been using AI facial recognition technology, regardless of any possible ban.
In a petition to Parliament on June 13, backed by Dutch and French NGOs, citizens protested against the use of AI-enabled facial recognition technology, calling for it to banned in the EU.
Protestors also said that the use of the technology “is prohibited in Belgium, as there is no legal basis” for its implementation.
Despite this, according to Belgian media outlet 7sur7, Brussels law enforcement agencies have been operating the technology in secret for some time.
Those against the use of facial recognition AI say doing so violates citizens’ rights to anonymity in public spaces, the right to assembly, and the right to demonstrate. They also claim that the collection of such personal data is highly vulnerable to piracy and exploitation by hackers.
Finally, they add, there is already a significant amount of security surveillance and intelligence data available through the centralisation of video footage.
Those against adopting the AI tech have specifically called for its use to be banned in public spaces and for identification purposes.
Such arguments will likely be supported by Parliament’s latest vote on the issue, which part of a debate designed to lead to a formal law.
The issue of the official operation of facial recognition AI has in some part been brought to the fore by the Chinese Communist Party’s use of it in monitoring and policing its own population, prompting fears of the door being opened to similar authoritarian possibilities in Europe.
