Description:
Application of facial recognition systems in public transportation is spreading worldwide. We observe this kind of projects being planned or developed in different countries such as Brazil, China, Malaysia, and Zimbabwe. A global trend is identified: under the justification that it will improve customer service and increase user’s security, States and companies work jointly in order to generate, collect, store, transfer and process facial biometric data from millions of citizens. Bearing in mind this scenario, it is necessary to analyse and discuss with different stakeholders how to address the emerging challenges, for human rights, of the implementation of these technologies in public transport. Thus, this workshop aims to discuss the phenomenon, taking into account that it may directly affect among others, people’s right to privacy, freedom of expression and association, and their freedom of movement. The violation of those rights might be a consequence of a series of risks related to how the technology is deployed, such as data leakage, mass surveillance, and use of data with biased purposes. Therefore, it becomes necessary to discuss how - and if - facial recognition systems in public transportation can be viable under a human rights-based approach. Among the various rights that can be impacted by the use of this technology, the workshop aims to provide a racial and ethnic approach to the analysis, since minority groups are potentially the ones whose rights and bodies are mostly targeted by data collection and further criminalization by public forces. Therefore, the workshop will focus on, for instance, the possibility of data usage by law enforcement agencies to persecute minorities and those who could represent dissent voices -- including in a collective way, repressing legitimate public protests. In this context, it is also important to discuss how the usage of such technologies can represent a specific threat for black people, immigrants, and other ethnic minorities -- not only concerning the right to experience the city and to freedom of movement, but also to the right to remain anonymous and to freely express themselves in public places. The complexity of this scenario demands an accurate analysis, which can be best provided by a multistakeholder panel, in order to built priorities on the addressing of different issues related to the framework. For this reason, a academic researcher will, at first, provide to the panel an overview on how the phenomenon relates to social structures, focusing on surveillance capitalism and militarization of cities. Then, three other panelists will be heard. A representative from Public Sector will help to explore the legitimacy and legality of the use of these technologies by the state and to discuss public power liability. In addition, she will focus on measures that could be taken to prevent discriminatory usage of face recognition in public transportation as well as to guarantee privacy and data protection for users. Another panelist, representing Private Sector, will be able to identify trends on how facial recognition is being used in public transport, and to describe measures companies can take to prevent the negative impacts of the technology or its misuse, in order to guarantee that society can benefit from it. Finally, a Civil Society member from Global South will provide a view on how civil society and social movements are facing this kind of projects and also how human rights standards may be a guideline for public power and enterprises. Time, introductions and other responsibilities related to the conduction of the workshop will be guided by the moderator. Each panelist will have 10 minutes to expose. The public (in-person and online) will be highly encouraged to participate and share their perspective specifically on what principles and aspects should address a human rights-based approach to the theme. The moderator will finally be responsible for synthesizing the recommendations made by public and panelists, since this summary will be a outcome of the session. Additional Reference Document Links: https://www.article19.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Governance-with-tee...