PROJECT
To promote and defend human rights within the context of the expansion of biometric technology in Brazil
OBJECTIVE
To stimulate academic and public debate on the impacts and risks associated with mass surveillance using biometric technologies in Brazil, and to promote human rights parameters such as a respect for legal due process, data protection and the presumption of innocence.
CONTEXT
Public safety continues to be a central topic in societal, electoral and parliamentary debates. Brazil has legislated on data protection, creating a commission of jurists in 2019 to draft a bill dealing with data protection in public security and criminal prosecution, and the State has hosted relevant data protection litigation. However, it has also invested in systems integration, increasing the feasibility of processing biometric data, financing the expansion and integration of databases and facilitating the exchange of biometric information between state agencies. Therefore, on the one hand, we see antagonistic projects designed to increase vigilance and toughen punishment and, on the other, data protection aimed at preventing the disproportionate use of information and guaranteeing privacy and informational self-determination.
These issues are on the agenda of Brazilian authorities, and intervention in this debate and regulatory moment is crucial for Brazilian citizens in the digital age.
There is a major lack of transparency with regard to the processing of biometric data by the State
Project achievements
InternetLab joined together with other organizations in developing a strategy and taking legal action against the implementation of facial recognition cameras in the São Paulo Metro. The judge presiding over the case granted their demand for further scrutiny and asked São Paulo Metro for information on the legal basis for contracting and using the technology, as well as on the technical details of the facial recognition system and the precautions being considered to mitigate risks.
How was this achieved?
– Produced and disseminated knowledge with the book Direitos Fundamentais e Processo Penal na Era Digital, Vol. 2 (Fundamental Rights and Criminal Procedure in the Digital Age).
– Established the agenda for and participated in the public and intersectoral debate on the risks of facial recognition implementation within the private sector.
– Promoted the academic debate on mass surveillance technologies through III Congresso Direitos Fundamentais e Processo Penal na Era Digital (The International Conference on Fundamental Rights and Criminal Procedure in the Digital Age).
– Provided technical assistance for successful strategic litigation activities.
– Constructed and strengthened research and promotion networks focusing on the subject of data protection.
