Belgian soldiers must hide their faces at the military parade during the country’s national holiday over concerns about artificial intelligence and advanced video technology.
Theo Francken, the country’s defence minister, said some of the troops would be wearing a “buff”, a tactical scarf that covered the face just below the eyes during the event on July 21.
“This is not a style choice, but a conscious safety measure”, the defence minister stressed on July 15.
“In times of artificial intelligence and advanced video technology, discretion has literally become a matter of life and death,” he added.
Francken said the parade would be broadcasted live and remain available online.
“What used to be a fleeting snapshot is now becoming permanent and searchable material.
“With the rise of powerful AI systems and supercomputers, it is now technically possible to detect, recognise and link faces to digital identities – even with poor image quality or partial coverage,” Francken said.
He added that facial recognition tools such as Clearview AI or PimEyes used “gigantic databases” of faces online.
He warned that a short recording was often enough to identify someone through matching with social media, online forums, data breaches, or public sources.
“But it doesn’t stop there”, Francken continued.
“AI analysis can also detect and combine behaviours, insignia, gait, body type, or even voice to build an individual profile. By linking multiple images over time, a surprisingly complete picture can emerge — revealing someone’s career path, deployment history, and even areas of specialisation.
“What was once the exclusive domain of advanced intelligence agencies is now within reach of anyone with enough time, computing power, or malicious intent,” he said.
Members of combat units who took part in special operations, paratroopers, de-mining services or were involved with cyber capabilities often represented Belgium in international operations and may be targets of espionage or threats abroad.
Because of the hot summer weather so far, Francken said he asked the chief of staff of the Belgian Army to create a “summer buff”, offering more comfort.
Yves Huwart, of the military union ACMP, told news outlet Het Nieuwsblad on July 15 that the union did not ask for the measure, describing it as somewhat excessive.
“I suspect that advice came from military intelligence. As if [Russian President Vladimir] Putin would be interested in the Belgian Army. We mustn’t become paranoid,” he said.
