Inquiry launched into plan to install facial recognition cameras at Brussels airport

Inquiry launched into plan to install facial recognition cameras at Brussels airport
An inquiry has been launched after police announced plans to install facial recognition cameras at Brussels airport. Credit: Pixabay

A police oversight body has launched an investigation into plans by the federal police to install facial recognition cameras at Brussels Zaventem Airport, according to reports on Thursday.

The investigation, led by the Police Information Control Board, follows reports that there was no legal basis allowing police to employ such devices for law enforcement purposes.

Police itself argues that there is already a legal basis for such devices and that legislative changes are "unnecessary," adding that an agreement with the airport "already exists."

Current legislation allows police to use smart devices, including cameras, but not for the captured footage to be included into a database.

Federal police ensured that its objective is to work without such a database.

"We will compare pictures of known perpetrators (of crimes) in specific locations on-site and in real-time," spokesperson Sarah Frederickx explained. 

The Police Information Control Board, which oversees police use of cameras, launched the inquiry after it said that it had not yet received an assessment on the project's impact on data protection, although it is required by law.

The Brussels Times


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