AI Briefing — EDPS urges ban on remote biometric identification in public spaces
The European Data Protection Supervisor called for a general ban on automated facial recognition and other remote biometric identification in publicly accessible spaces, warning of disproportionate intrusion and fundamental-rights risks.
On 10 February 2021 the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) issued a formal opinion urging EU lawmakers to impose a broad prohibition on remote biometric identification—including live facial recognition—in publicly accessible areas. The EDPS argues that pervasive biometric tracking undermines privacy, non-discrimination, and freedom of assembly, and it recommends that any AI legislation include explicit safeguards, transparency, and oversight mechanisms.
Compliance and AI governance teams should map any EU deployments that rely on biometric analytics, pause pilots that could be swept into a ban, and document alternative authentication or safety controls that avoid remote identification.
Continue in the AI pillar
Return to the hub for curated research and deep-dive guides.
Latest guides
-
AI Workforce Enablement and Safeguards Guide — Zeph Tech
Equip employees for AI adoption with skills pathways, worker protections, and transparency controls aligned to U.S. Department of Labor principles, ISO/IEC 42001, and EU AI Act…
-
AI Incident Response and Resilience Guide — Zeph Tech
Coordinate AI-specific detection, escalation, and regulatory reporting that satisfy EU AI Act serious incident rules, OMB M-24-10 Section 7, and CIRCIA preparation.
-
AI Model Evaluation Operations Guide — Zeph Tech
Build traceable AI evaluation programmes that satisfy EU AI Act Annex VIII controls, OMB M-24-10 Appendix C evidence, and AISIC benchmarking requirements.