The Senate is today studying the bill relating to the 2024 Paris Olympics, with the surveillance of the public by smart cameras. They would be used to automatically detect disturbances during concentrations of people. What are the challenges of this measure?
We remember the demonstrations that took place more than two years ago before the review of the “global security” law. After having been planed by the Council of State, this one has just validated the text without major modifications, nor dispute. The digital component was already of great concern, but it is ultimately not much compared to the new bill proposed by the government to frame the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Amended last Wednesday by the Senate for examination in public session before the same assembly on Tuesday, January 24, one article among the others concentrates apprehensions. Article 7 authorizes the use of automatic CCTV systems that will use Artificial Intelligence to detect ” dangerous situations for the safety of people, such as crowd movements “. The devices in question are not listed, but, in addition to fixed CCTV cameras, the use of drones is not excluded. Those aircraftaircraft are now usable by law enforcement since January 20.
When we mix the use of AI for automatic recognition via video surveillance, we inevitably imagine that the use of automated facial recognition can be ambushed. The government does not explain it, but giving carte blanche to an AI to monitor makes it possible to lay the foundations. In any case, this is what the La Quadrature du Net association fears.
Even the CNIL is watching over the grain. Asked by France Info this morning, its president Marie-Laure Denis explained that the use of these AIs will not be “open-bar” and will be reserved for only ” sports arenas, near transport “. The organization will closely monitor the making of the algorithms and evaluate its learning. The president emphasized that the government must not take advantage of this to ” introduce facial recognition “. Also arises the durationduration of data retention. On this point, Marie-Laure Denis explained that ” the CNIL will ensure that this data is deleted when it needs to be ».
The president of the Cnil calls on the government not to use facial recognition. Sign of an intention? © Twitter, FranceInfo
Durable temporary
And then there is the framework of the algorithms. Futura explained yesterday that an AI trained to detect people could be fooled when you move hidden in a box. Won’t an AI see a violation or crowd movement where there is none? To avoid slippage, the text provides that the monitoring device is controlled by humans who can interrupt it at any time.
In addition to the technical aspects, there are also fears that this law could become permanent and not be limited to the 2024 Olympic Games. First, the bill proposes to experiment with the process during major sporting events. , from the entry into force of the law until June 30, 2025. By arguing with the necessarily anxiety-provoking term of “terrorism risk”, the devices could therefore be used beyond the framework of the 2024 Olympic Games.
Then, it should be noted that this goes even beyond sport, since the law would also apply to recreational or cultural events. Ultimately, these provisions show that the intention of this project is permanent. This is in any case the opinion of the Council of State. The institution recently explained in an opinion that the text is designed to be able to apply outside the period of the Olympic Games. As a guardrailguardrail, the law explains that experimentation will systematically be subject to authorization by the prefecture. It remains to be seen what the Senate will decide during its public session today.
