EU Agency for Fundamental Rights urges safeguards for biometric policing

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has issued a report urging European Union member states to implement robust safeguards and independent oversight for remote biometric identification (RBI) technologies used in policing.

While RBI, including facial and voice recognition, can assist law enforcement in crime prevention, the FRA warns that its use in public spaces poses significant risks to privacy and fundamental rights. The agency notes that current implementation varies across member states, leading to unequal protections. Key concerns include the potential for algorithmic bias against women, children, and ethnic minorities, as well as the risk of infringing on the right to peaceful assembly.

In a survey covering seven countries—France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, and Ireland—37% of respondents expressed fear that their data could be misused, while 29% stated they would be less likely to participate in peaceful protests if facial recognition were utilized. FRA Director Sirpa Rautio emphasized that building public trust requires authorities to go beyond the minimum requirements of the EU AI Act, specifically by publishing the results of fundamental rights impact assessments.