Riot police detain a man during clashes in the northern city of Thessaloniki, Greece, March 11, 2021.
Credit:
Giannis Papanikos/AP
Greek police roll out new ‘smart’ devices that recognize faces and fingerprints
Greek authorities say the technology will make police checks more efficient, but critics are sounding the alarm about potential abuses.
At a time when the use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement is under increased scrutiny, Greece is forging ahead with a plan to equip some police officers with portable devices capable of facial recognition and fingerprint identification.
Under a Smart Policing plan announced in 2017, Greece will equip roughly 1,000 police officers with smartphone-like devices by summer 2021. Up to 10,000 officers could eventually get them.
The devices will be connected to national and European databases, according to the Hellenic Police, and officers who carry them on patrols will be able to use them to identify people by scanning their faces and fingerprints.
Related: Greece ‘finally’ has its #MeToo moment
One of the program’s goals is to identify “third-country nationals who have violated the legal length of stay in the country,” according to a Hellenic Police document detailing the project.
Hellenic Police said in a statement to The World that the program will improve efficiency and officer safety as well as reduce hassle for civilians.
But critics say the project erodes privacy protections. And some warn against expanding police surveillance powers at a time when activists allege police brutality in Greece is on the rise.
“It’s really scary,” said Ali, an undocumented Yemeni artist living in Athens, of the project. His real name isn’t being used because he fears for his safety.
Ali worries about the accuracy of the technology. Studies show facial recognition systems often misidentify people of color and can lead to wrongful arrests and convictions.
And he’s concerned about an increased crackdown on a population that he says is already over-surveilled and over-policed. Greek authorities expect the daily average of police stops to increase under the Smart Policing program, according to police documents.
“It’s difficult. You feel like … someone is [always] watching you, coming after you. And it’s not a good feeling.”
Ali, migrant, Greece
“It’s difficult,” Ali said about life as a migrant in Greece. “You feel like … someone is [always] watching you, coming after you. And it’s not a good feeling.”
Related: In Greece, a clergyman’s death reignites communion spoon debate
Eleftherios Chelioudakis, co-founder of Homo Digitales, a digital rights advocacy organization based in Athens, is also concerned that the program is partly aimed at migrants in the country.
“They are aiming at marginalized groups, and they are aiming at third-country nationals because these … are the people that have a lower voice in [society],” Chelioudakis said.
And he said efficiency is not a good enough reason to deploy what he considers dangerous technology. He likened it to using a bazooka to kill a fly.
“Yes, maybe it’s efficient, but is it necessary?” Chelioudakis said.
“I am not saying that we should never use new technology in policing activities or law enforcement, in general,” he said. “What I’m saying is that it’s very important to invest in technologies that are human rights-oriented and that there are legal grounds to use such technologies.”
Chelioudakis’ organization is also questioning the legality of the program under European laws on biometric data processing.
Views: 0