Archive
France: How the “war on drugs” is turbo-charging surveillance powers
A French law is set to unleash invasive new police surveillance powers. Fuelled by absurd rhetoric, the government is proposing what has been dubbed “the worst surveillance law in the EU”. Experts warn that it will fail to achieve its aims. However, the broad scope of the law means the powers can be used against migrants, their supporters, and to crack down on dissent. As official reports have made clear, dealing with drug use and trafficking requires long-term, low-tech policies – not high-tech police surveillance powers. Read More
Belgium: New report calls for a ban on ‘predictive’ policing technologies
Following an investigation carried out over the past two years, Statewatch, the Ligue des droits humains and the Liga voor mensenrechten, jointly publish a report on the development of ‘predictive’ policing in Belgium. There are inherent risks in these systems, particularly when they rely on biased databases or sociodemographic statistics. The report calls for a ban on ‘predictive’ systems in law enforcement. Read More
UK: Over 1,300 people profiled daily by Ministry of Justice AI system to ‘predict’ re-offending risk
Over 20 years ago, a system to assess prisoners’ risk of reoffending was rolled out in the criminal legal system across England and Wales. It now uses artificial intelligence techniques to profile thousands of offenders and alleged offenders every week. Despite serious concerns over racism and data inaccuracies, the system continues to influence decision-making on imprisonment and parole – and a new system is in the works. Read More
Annex III: AI technologies and techniques of interest to EU policing, migration and criminal justice institutions and agencies
In this section Criminal justice Immigration and asylum Border controls and policing Administrative projects Policy projects Multiple purpose This annex compiles information from official studies and report on potential uses of AI technology for criminal Read More
Annex II: Information to be registered in the EU database of high-risk AI systems
The following text is taken from annexes to the AI Act. Text in bold italic does not apply to systems for law enforcement, migration, asylum and border control purposes. ANNEX VIII: Information to be submitted Read More
Annex I: High-risk systems under the AI Act
The text below is extracted from Annex III of the AI Act. 1. Biometrics, in so far as their use is permitted under relevant Union or national law: (a) remote biometric identification systems. This shall Read More
4. Building the infrastructure
This report considers two types of "infrastructure" required for the development of the EU security AI complex: institutional and technical. The former is made up various processes, working groups and other ‘spaces’ (whether formal or informal) that have been brought into use in recent years, principally since 2019. The latter consists of the hardware and software needed for the development of new security AI tools and techniques. Read More
3. Security AI in EU agencies
EU agencies are already developing and using various types of AI technology. This section looks in particular at projects and activities launched by eu-LISA and Europol, as well as Frontex, Eurojust and the EU Asylum Agency. There are a wide variety of AI technologies - from facial recognition to machine learning and 'predictive' technologies - that have been examined or are actively deployed. Read More
2. Cop out: security exemptions in the Artificial Intelligence Act
The regulatory regime introduced by the Artificial Intelligence Act will frame the use of artificial intelligence in the EU, and perhaps elsewhere in the world, for many years to come. In the field of security, it achieves two key things. Firstly, it establishes conditions for increased development and use of security AI systems. Second, it ensures that those systems are subject to extremely limited accountability, oversight and transparency measures. Read More
1. Introduction
The EU has long sought to develop and deploy advanced technologies for policing, border and immigration control, and criminal justice: biometric border controls, border surveillance drones, and machine learning systems for analysing vast quantities of data, amongst other things. The latest part of this push for technological “solutions” to so-called security problems is the development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI). Read More