France: the new law on the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games threatens human rights
France proposed a new law on the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games (projet de loi relatif aux jeux Olympiques et Paralympiques de 2024) which would legitimize the use of invasive algorithm-driven video surveillance under the pretext of “securing big events”. This new French law would create a legal basis for scanning public spaces to detect specific suspicious events.
AlgorithmWatch together with 37 civil society organizations has sent a public letter to the French National Assembly expressing our deep concern regarding the proposal. We believe that the proposed surveillance measures violate international human rights law as they contravene the principles of necessity and proportionality, and pose unacceptable risks to fundamental rights, such as the right to privacy, the freedom of assembly and association, and the right to non-discrimination.
Furthermore, this law would also set a dangerous precedent for other European countries to legalise a range of risky biometric surveillance practices. We request the French National Assembly to reject the provision that allows for algorithm-driven video surveillance.
Signatories
Access Now, Global
AlgoRace, Spain
AlgorithmWatch, Germany
AlgorithmWatch CH, Switzerland
Amnesty International, Global
ApTI, Romania
ARTICLE 19, Global
Association Nationale des Supporters, France
Big Brother Watch, UK
Bits of Freedom, The Netherlands
Centre for Democracy & Technology, Europe
Chaos Computer Club Lëtzebuerg, Luxembourg
Citizen D / Državljan D, Slovenia
Civil Liberties Union for Europe, Europe
Deutsche Vereinigung für Datenschutz e.V. (DVD), Germany
Digitalcourage e.V., Germany
Digitale Gesellschaft, Switzerland
Digitale Freiheit e.V., Germany
Elektronisk Forpost Norge, Norway
Eticas Tech, Spain
European Center for Not-for-Profit Law Stichting (ECNL), Europe
European Digital Rights, Europe
Fair Trials, Global
Forum Civique Européen, France/Europe
Football Supporters Europe, Europe
Homo Digitalis, Greece
Human Rights Watch, International
Irish Council for Civil Liberties, Ireland
IT-Pol, Denmark
Iuridicum Remedium, Czech Republic
Liberty, UK
Panoptykon Foundation, Poland
Privacy International, Global
Privacy Network, Italy
Share Foundation, Serbia
Society Vrijbit, The Netherlands
Statewatch, Europe
Today is a new day / Danes je nov dan, Slovenia