Biometrics like in China – and chat control in real time

The EU Commission does not want Chinese conditions in Europe. That’s why it is proposing to ban nationwide biometric mass surveillance. But it is still being practised in Germany.

Data protection experts from EDRI and CCC point this out in a new study. According to the expertise, systematic mass surveillance exists – in both the public and private sectors. Quote:

As this case study shows, people in German streets, shopping malls, religious meeting places and train stations are all subject to invasive biometric mass surveillance. The notorious company Clearview AI has been proven to be illegally using data of German citizens. Nevertheless, Clearview AI has avoided being fined and the German authorities have not ordered an end to its illegal practices. Ever-growing biometric identity databases operated by the state make it questionable whether Germans have a real choice to consent to the release of their biometric data, as required by EU law.

Religious and LGBT groups have also been repeatedly targeted by live facial recognition in Germany, the experts criticise.

Hadn’t Chancellor Merkel spoken out against discrimination against minorities at the last EU summit?

Read the whole report here (PDF) More on Digital EUrope here (in German)

P.S. On Tuesday, the EU Parliament adopted the Chat Control Regulation, which allows email and messaging providers to search private messages indiscriminately and in real time for suspicious content and report it to the police (“ePrivacy Exemption Regulation”). A majority of 537 with 133 votes against and 20 abstentions supported the regulation. P. Breyer of the Pirates spoke of a “black day for all those who depend on unbiased and confidential communication and counselling such as abuse victims and press informants”.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) The original version (in German) is here