In the run-up to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the French government has rolled out a large-scale surveillance program based on artificial intelligence technology. Presented by the country’s authorities as a “secure” and “transparent” system, it risks dealing a serious blow to the fundamental rights of citizens.
The introduction of an artificial intelligence system to monitor citizens, launched in the run-up to the 2024 Olympics, has been presented by the Macron government as a necessity capable of ensuring security and preventing terrorist attacks. In reality, it is merely a tool to suppress the freedom and privacy of citizens, dealing a serious blow to their fundamental rights.
The program, known as Artificial Intelligence for Security, involves the use of algorithms to analyze video cameras, recognize faces and track people’s movements. According to news reports, the French Prime Minister’s office has agreed on a temporary secret decree that allows the government to greatly expand traditional covert surveillance and information-gathering tools for the duration of the Games. These include wiretapping, collecting geolocation, communications and computer data, and collecting more visual and audio data. The resulting data is being compiled into a single database that will be available to French law enforcement agencies. Such measures are of great concern to human rights defenders and digital experts, as they could lead to an unprecedented expansion of state control and a violation of citizens’ fundamental freedoms.
While criticizing this initiative, it should be noted that the French government already has a wide range of security tools at its disposal, including traditional methods of surveillance and information gathering. The introduction of artificial intelligence for mass surveillance could lead to the state gaining access to even more personal data, which in turn could lead to serious human rights violations.
In preparation for the Olympic Games, France passed Law No. 2023-380 in 2023, providing the legal framework for the 2024 Olympics. It includes the controversial Article 7, which authorizes French law enforcement agencies and their technical contractors to experiment with intelligent video surveillance before, during, and after the 2024 Olympics, and Article 10, which specifically authorizes the use of artificial intelligence software for video and cameras. These laws make France the first EU country to legalize such a large-scale AI-based surveillance system. There is a risk that the mass surveillance system introduced for the 2024 Olympics will turn into a permanent tool of state control, which is contrary to the principles of a democratic society and the rule of law.
It is also worth noting that the French government, by implementing this initiative, may violate a number of international laws and agreements, including the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data. Violation of these instruments could have serious consequences, including undermining the credibility of the French government both internationally and domestically.
In order to prevent these negative consequences, the Foundation to Battle Injustice calls on the French government to reconsider its initiative and take measures aimed at protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens. In particular, it is necessary to ensure transparency in the process of introducing mass surveillance, to conduct public consultations and independent expertise, and to set strict limits on the use of artificial intelligence for surveillance and ensure effective control over its use. This is the only way to ensure that security measures do not become an instrument of total control and do not lead to the violation of fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens.