Thuringia proposes expansion of police surveillance powers

The Thuringian state government, led by a coalition of the CDU, SPD, and BSW, is proposing a significant expansion of police powers through a new Police Tasks Act. The draft legislation introduces several advanced technical surveillance tools, including facial recognition and automated behavioral analysis via camera systems. These systems would use software to continuously monitor individuals in camera ranges, automatically flagging behavior deemed ‘unusual’ to trigger alarms.

Additionally, the proposal includes the permanent merging and automated analysis of police databases. This software would be designed to identify connections between individuals or groups by cross-referencing various data systems. Critics, including the Chaos Computer Club and several digital rights organizations, have issued a joint statement expressing concern that these measures would involve the continuous monitoring and data processing of individuals not suspected of any crime. They also warned that such automated analyses could reinforce existing biases and discrimination within police data.