At a Press Conference on Tuesday, ADPD – The Green Party spokespersons warned that facial recognition technology may threaten fundamental human rights if not harnessed properly. The party is also concerned about the lack of information about the agreement the government has signed with Chinese company Huawei

ADPD – The Green Party candidate for the 9th and 10th District Mina Tolu explained that although the primary aim of facial recognition technology was that of crime prevention, this may be abused of to follow the movement of persons and therefore violates the right to privacy.

“We do not want to have our daily lives followed at every step. As has been acknowledged that this is not acceptable online, likewise we do not want it to happen in our physical activities”, stated Mina Tolu.

Although this technology is still in its early development, it can be further developed not just for identification purposes but also for the profiling of those it is aimed at. It is an invasive technology that may also be abused in the control of normal activities in 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,” concluded Mina Tolu.

ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson and candidate for the 4th and 9th district said that 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 use 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,” insisted Cacopardo.

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. 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. Cacopardo said that invasive technology of this kind treats everyone as if they were some potential terrorist or criminal.
In this digital age we require our surveillance to be democratically accountable to strong institutions. However, having a history of practically useless institutions which, time and again, have not been capable of standing up to those in power, is not a good point of departure. Facial recognition technology has the potential of concentrating too much information (and power) in the hands of the police. This may be very dangerous unless data protection oversight is robust.

Face recognition technology, like any other technology can be used and abused. It can make us feel safer, but it also has the potential to gnaw at our freedoms, without our realising it. There is certainly great potential but there are also enormous responsibilities.

Investing in our security does not require surrendering our privacy, concluded Cacopardo.

***

It-teknoloġija li tagħraf l-uċuħ (facial recognition technology) tista’ tkun miftuħa għall-abbuż

Waqt konferenza stampa it-Tlieta, kelliema ta’ ADPD – The Green Party fissru kif l-użu tat-teknoloġija li tagħraf l-uċuħ (facial recognition technology) tinħtieġ attenzjoni kbira biex ikunu mħarsa drittijiet fundamentali tal-bniedem. Hemm skiet kbir da parti tal-Gvern dwar ftehim li għandu mal-Huawei.

Mina Tolu, kandidat ta’ ADPD – The Green Party fuq id-9 u l-10 Distrett spjegaw li għalkemm il-proposta biex tintuża t-teknoloġija li tagħraf l-uċuħ (facial recognition technology) hija immirata għal ġlieda kontra l-kriminalità, hemm il-potenzjal li din tintuża ħażin biex tintraċċa l-movimenti tal-persuni u aktar u b’hekk timmina d-dritt tal-privatezza.

“Huwa importanti li ma għandux jiġi ssorveljati kull pass li nagħmlu. Bħalma ninsistu li dan m’għandux isir meta inkunu onlajn, bl-istess mod m’għandux isir fil-ħajja tagħna ta’ kuljum”, qalu Mina Tolu.

Għalkemm din it-teknoloġija għada bikrija, din tista’ tkompli tiġi żviluppat b’mod li mhux biss tidentifika il-persuni imma ukoll toħloq profil tagħhom. Hi teknoloġija invażiva u tista’ wkoll tiġi abbużata biex tikkontrolla attivitajiet normali f’demokrazija – bħal parteċipazzjoni f’protesti.

“Li ‘big brother’ issibu  kullimkien mhux aċċettabbli u tista’ twassal biex tiskuraġġixxi l-parteċipazzjoni ċivika” temmu jgħidu Mina Tolu.

Carmel Cacopardo, Chairperson u kandidat ta’ ADPD – The Green Party fuq ir-4 u d-9 distrett qal li għandu jkun hemm konsultazzjoni pubblika kmieni bl-iskop li jiġu determinati x’limiti raġjonevoli għandu jkun hemm fl-applikazzjoni ta’ din it-teknoloġija. “Użata tajjeb u b’mod limitat din it-teknoloġija tista’ tkun ta’ ġid imma f’idejn żbaljati u b’użu indiskriminat u f’sitwazzjonijiet normali tal-ħajja tista’ tkun strument ta’ repressjoni,” sostna Cacopardo.

Dan għaliex toħloq żbilanċ bejn is-sens ta’ sigurtà u l-privatezza tan-nies, aktar u aktar meta teknoloġija ta’ dan it-tip tintuża biex tissorvelja persuni b’mod indiskriminat u mingħajr kontrolli adegwati. Permezz ta’ din it-teknoloġija, l-istat ikollu iktar informazzjoni fuq ċittadini li jinqabdu fil-filmat, minħabba li tingħaraf l-identità ta’ dawn il-persuni, ħafna drabi b’mod ineżatt. 

Cacopardo qal li teknoloġija invażiva ta’ dan it-tip trendi lil kulħadd qisu xi terrorist jew kriminal.F’din l-era diġitali hu meħtieġ li s-sorveljanza tkun kontabbli quddiem istituzzjonijiet demokratiċi msaħħa. Bi storja ta’ istituzzjonijiet dgħajfa li repetutament ma kienux kapaċi jieqfu lil dawk fil-poter, ma tantx qegħdin tajjeb. It-teknoloġija għall-għarfien tal-uċuħ tista’ tikkonċentra wisq informazzjoni (u poter) f’idejn il-pulizija. Dan jista’ jkun perikoluż jekk il-kontroll fuq l-informazzjoni miġbura ma tkunx waħda qawwija.
It-teknoloġija li tagħraf l-uċuħ, bħal kull teknoloġija oħra, tista’ tintuża tajjeb imma tista’ ukoll tintuża ħażin. Tista’ tgħinna nkunu iktar siguri, imma tista’ tgerrem (bla ma nindunaw) id-drittijiet tagħna. Hemm il-potenzjal, imma hemm ukoll responsabbiltajiet kbar.

Li ninvestu fis-sigurtà tagħna ma jfissirx li għandna nċedu l-privatezza tagħna, temm Cacopardo.