A major investment firm is calling on the Dutch tech company TKH Group to implement “proper due diligence policies” concerning how its products are used after reports suggested its cameras are involved in a biometric surveillance system in East Jerusalem.

Established in 1993, ASN Impact Investors is a Dutch impact investment firm that manages 12 investment funds aimed at accelerating the transition to a sustainable society. It managed over €4.2 billion in assets as of mid-2023.
TKH Group is an almost century-old Dutch technology company specializing in the development and delivery of smart vision, smart manufacturing, and smart connectivity systems. According to a report from Amnesty International, its cameras are used in a surveillance network in East Jerusalem that supports the use of facial recognition for surveillance.
East Jerusalem is politically controlled by Israel, which has maintained its control since the Six-Day War in 1967 when it captured the area from Jordan. The Israeli government uses biometric surveillance to monitor the area’s Palestinian population and maintain security. The area has a complex security situation, which includes frequent tensions and clashes between Israelis and Palestinians.
“ASN Impact Investors has decided to actively engage with TKH Group to develop proper due diligence policies to avoid such deals from taking place in the future,” explained a representative of ASN Impact Investors. “This means that TKH Group has one year to satisfy ASN Impact Investors’ demands otherwise the investment will be terminated. This is the heaviest tool in ASN Impact Investors’ toolbox.”
Amnesty International has itself called attention to Israel’s use of facial recognition technology in the past, including its “Red Wolf” program involving the collection of Palestinians’ face biometrics as they pass through certain checkpoints. This complements “Wolf Pack”, a face database compiled and maintained by the Israeli security forces, and “Blue Wolf”, a mobile app designed to match Palestinians’ faces to the Wolf Pack database.
Source: Amnesty International
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July 5, 2024 – by Alex Perala
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