The cameras, supported by artificial intelligence (AI), are able to recognize suspicious behavior. Among other things, they can spot abandoned luggage and set off alarms if a rush of people suddenly occurs.
Last week, some forty – mainly left-wing – European parliamentarians called on their French colleagues to vote against the bill. In a letter, they warned that with this law, France would “set a precedent of surveillance never seen before in Europe, under the pretext of the Summer Olympics”.
Some NGOs, including the French La Quadrature du Net and international groups such as Amnesty International and Access Now, also pointed to the dangers of these cameras. In addition to the privacy issues they could pose, the cameras could also potentially conflict with EU law on artificial intelligence. That law is currently on the table in Brussels and could limit biometric surveillance.
But according to the French government, the AI surveillance cameras are necessary to guarantee the safety of the millions of tourists and sports enthusiasts expected in Paris next year. Lawmakers from President Emmanuel Macron’s party claimed during the debates that AI cameras could have prevented the 2016 Nice terror attack by spotting the truck before it could drive into the crowd.
Concern is high from the left corner. According to them, AI mass surveillance is unprecedented in democratic societies and threatens civil liberties. In addition, they also fear that this temporary measure will become permanent after the Games.