Daniel Desira kelliem għal AD fuq is-Soċjeta’ Diġitali qal: “Il-konferma tal-Prim Ministru f’diversi diskorsi tiegħu li l-gvern irid l-installazzjoni ta’ CCTV cameras abbinati ma` teknoloġija ta’ għarfien tal-wiċċ (facial recognition) madwar Malta, mill-kumpanija statali Safe City Malta u l-kumpanija Ċiniża Huawei, hija inkwetanti. Dan għaliex toħloq żbilanċ bejn is-sens ta’ sigurta` u l-privatezza tan-nies, aktar u aktar meta teknoloġija ta’ dan it-tip tintuża biex tissorvelja persuni b’mod indiskriminat u mingħajr kontrolli serji. L-applikazzjoni ta’ din it-teknoloġija għandha tkun is-suġġetta għal konsutazzjoni pubblika bl-iskop li jiġu determinati x’limiti raġjonevoli għandu jkun hemm fl-applikazzjoni ta’ din it-teknoloġija. Użata tajjeb b’mod limitat din it-teknoloġija tista’ tkun ta’ ġid imma f’idejn żbaljati u użu indiskriminat u f’sitwazzjonijiet normali tal-ħajja tista’ tkun strument ta’ ripressjoni.”
“Permezz ta’ din it-teknoloġija, l-istat ikollu iktar informazzjoni fuq ċittadini li jinqabdu fil-filmat, minħabba li tingħaraf l-identita` ta’ dawn il-persuni, ħafna drabi b’mod ineżatt. Tajjeb li ngħidu li minkejja li dan ħa jsir fi proġett pilota ġewwa Paceville u sussegwentement fil-Marsa, ma saret l-ebda konsultazzjoni pubblika s’issa. Teknoloġija invażiva ta’ dan it-tip trendi lil kulħadd qisu xi terrorist jew kriminal u tista’ tiġi abbużata biex tikkontrolla b’mod kapillari attivitajiet normali f’demokrazija – bħal parteċipazzjoni f’protesti. Li ‘big brother’ issibu kullimkien mhux aċċettabbli u tista’ twassal biex tiskuraġġixxi l-parteċipazzjoni ċivika. Il-paċi pubblika u problemi ta’ natura soċjali għandhom jiġu immaniġġjati permezz ta’ community workers u pulizija imħarrġa sew f’community policing.”
Carmel Cacopardo Chairperson ta’ AD ikkonkluda li “Mhux ġust li ssir invażjoni indiskriminata fuq il-privatezza tal-ħafna li ma jkunux qed iwettqu l-ebda att kriminali. Minbarra dan, kif diġa avżaw xi esperti, din il-miżura tmur dijametrikament kontra l-liġi Maltija fuq il-protezzjoni tad-data. Waqt li saru avvanzi kbar fit-teknoloġija, din xorta waħda hi suġġett għall-iżbalji. Huwa nkwetanti wkoll li database bl-uċuħ tan-nies tispiċċa għand kumpanija privata Ċiniża. Il-gvern mid-dehra qed jieħu ideat miċ-Ċina, pajjiż magħruf għan-nuqqas ta’ rispett lejn id-drittijiet tal-bniedem. Li l-gvern ta’ Malta qed jipproponi teknoliġiji li juża l-gvern Ċiniż biex jikkontrolla liċ-ċittadini tiegħu, qisu xejn m’hu xejn, hija inkwetanti. Il-Kap tal-Oppożizzjoni fil-ġirja tal-partit tiegħu lejn il-lemin malajr qalilna li jaqbel ma’ dan it-tip ta’ kontroll indiskriminat fuq kulħadd.”
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The Government proposal for ‘face recognition’ technology on our streets is premature – we need a serious and in-depth discussion
Daniel Desira AD spokesperson on the Digital Society said: “The Prime Minister’s confirmation through several speeches that government wants to install face recognition technology around Malta in a partnership between state owned company Safe City Malta and the Chinese company Huawei, is worrying. This is because it creates an imbalance between the sense of safety and privacy of people, more so when technology of this type is used to monitor people indiscriminately and without serious control. The application of this technology should be the subject of a serious public consultation exercise to determine what limits should be placed on the use of this technology. This technology can be beneficial in situations of serious crimes and in specific places, and if its used is strictly regulated and very limited, but if used indiscriminately and to monitor people in normal day-to-day situations it can also be used as a tool for control and repression. “
“Through this technology, the state has more information on citizens caught on video and recognised by the software. Facial recognition is reported to still be highly inaccurate. Government has already announced that this technology will be piloted in Paceville and subsequently in Marsa, without any consultation whatsoever and without saying how the use of this invasive technology will be controlled. Invasive technology of this kind treats everyone as if they were some potential terrorist or criminal. It can be abused to control normal activities in a democracy, such as participation in public protests. The fact that people may fear that big brother is observing them wherever they are could discourage civic participation. Public peace, and problems of a social nature should be managed by highly trained community workers and police trained community policing practices.”
AD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo concluded that “It is not fair to have an indiscriminate invasion of privacy on a large scale on people who are just getting on with their lifes and are not involved in any criminal acts. Moreover, as already pointed out by some experts, this measure goes diametrically against Maltese law on data protection. Although technology is developing at a fast pace, this technology is still subject to errors. It is also worrying that database with the faces of people will end up used by a Chinese private company. The government is apparently borrowing ideas from China, a country known for the lack of respect for human rights. The very fact that the Malta government is proposing technologies used by the Chinese regime to control its citizens, as if it is a normal thing to do, is disturbing. We have also seen the Leader of the Opposition rushing to agree with the use of this technology, without mentioning any limits or controls, something which is not surprising given his party’s rush to the right of the political spectrum. We should not turn people into walking identity cards, left, right and centre.”
