Advocacy Group Suggests ‘Sabotage’ if German Policing Bill Passes

The German government’s recently proposed “security package” has sparked significant concern among civil rights activists and organizations like Amnesty International and the Chaos Computer Club (CCC), with some advocating for more active resistance to an expanded policing apparatus.

The package includes measures to implement extensive biometric surveillance, including facial recognition, for both criminal investigations and pre-emptive policing. Germany’s coalition government proposed the package in the wake of a deadly stabbing linked to the Islamic State terrorist group.

Critics argue that this would drastically curtail fundamental rights, undermine privacy, and disproportionately affect vulnerable groups. Svea Windwehr of D64 – Center for Digital Progress, warns that the government, once progressive, is now facilitating mass surveillance, breaking its coalition promises.

Matthias Marx of the CCC has criticized the government’s actions, stating that simply protesting against data retention is no longer sufficient. Marx suggests more direct forms of resistance, such as sabotaging surveillance measures.

“If this bill is passed, it will no longer be enough to write nice statements and organize a demonstration against data retention every three years,” he said.

Christian Mihr of Amnesty International points out that these surveillance powers risk enabling racial profiling and violate the privacy of all citizens. He argues that the use of facial and voice recognition could lead to the state’s access to personal images and recordings, such as family photos or protest footage, potentially chilling public dissent and free expression.

A campaign called “No Facial Recognition” has emerged to pressure the governing coalition to honor its original commitments. Supported by civil rights groups like Digitale Freiheit and Wikimedia Deutschland, the campaign stresses that AI-supported surveillance will not enhance security but could lead to an erosion of civil liberties without preventing crime. These organizations call for active civil society engagement to push back against this potential overreach of state power.

Source: Heise

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September 12, 2024 – by the FindBiometrics Editorial Team