France’s National Assembly has approved the use of AI video surveillance during the 2024 Paris Olympics, as long as it does not collect biometric data. The National Assembly passed the measure on Thursday, with a 59-17 margin, after the Senate gave its go-ahead in January.
The use of AI video surveillance, or automated video surveillance (AVS), is part of a broader legislation titled Bill relating to the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
French officials say AI video surveillance will support law enforcement’s efforts to prevent terror attacks and thwart other security incidents during the prestigious event.
However, human rights defenders have voiced concerns over the decision, saying it poses the same risks as facial recognition. Frederike Kaltheuner, the director of technology and human rights at Human Rights Watch, said AI video surveillance is “incredibly invasive.”
This type of surveillance “changes the very meaning of being in a public space, where most people have an expectation of being anonymous,” Kaltheuner told VPNOverview.
The provision is not final, as French lawmakers continue to discuss other aspects of the bill. Even if the bill is enacted, it could be challenged before the country’s judiciary.
With around 10 million people expected to attend the 2024 Paris Olympics, French authorities have invested heavily in security. Late last year, France approved an additional €25 million ($27 million) for security in the Paris 2024 budget. The government also approved an extra €10 million ($10.8 million) for cybersecurity.
AI Tools Could Have Prevented Nice Terror Attack, Says National Assembly Member
The French government’s decision to use AI video surveillance was heavily influenced by the number of high-profile terror incidents in the city in the last decade. Lawmaker Sacha Houlié said automated video surveillance could have prevented incidents like the 2016 Nice terror attack and the chaos after the 2022 UEFA Champions League final in Paris.
Video surveillance is not permitted in public places in France. However, the government has granted conditional authorization for such measures since 1995. By allowing AI video surveillance for a particular purpose and prescribing it in law, the government will meet the legal requirement for such surveillance.
France’s data watchdog CNIL said it supports AVS as long as it does not process biometric data. However, privacy experts are skeptical that automated video surveillance won’t collect this data.
“You can do two things: object detection or analysis of human behavior – the latter is the processing of biometric data,” Access Now’s Daniel Leufer said. He also questioned AI’s ability to spot potential attackers.
Dangers of Intrusive Tech
According to Kaltheuner, this type of surveillance could “disproportionately harm people who are already stigmatized or marginalized by society,” like homeless people who spend a lot of time in public spaces.
“The risk of stigmatization and discrimination are incredibly high, and systems are also prone to errors,” he said.
Noémie Levain, a lawyer at La Quadrature du Net, said the move poses “the same risks for public liberties and the same possibilities of abuse by the police, whose racist practices have been widely documented.”
Levain pointed out that events such as the Olympic games are the perfect excuse for the state to launch intrusive measures. Both the London 2012 Games and the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia used facial recognition technology, which lasted longer than intended. Russian authorities still use facial recognition to monitor people in Moscow.
“This law is a Trojan horse to permanently install automated video protection in public spaces,” Levain added.
Interested in learning more about public surveillance and privacy? Read our guide to facial recognition and privacy.
