PARIS — The French Senate voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday in favor of a bill allowing experimental AI-powered video surveillance during the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
The Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, thanked the senators for the rapid adoption of the text, which is, according to her, an “essential step” in the preparation of the mega sporting event. 245 legislators voted for and 28 against.
In late December, the French government introduced legislation that would massively expand its arsenal of surveillance powers and tools to bolster security for the millions of tourists expected for the 2024 Olympics.
Plans include large-scale real-time camera systems backed by an algorithm to spot suspicious behavior, including unattended luggage and alarming crowd movements like jostling. Civil liberties NGOs such as La Quadrature du Net and the Ligue des droits de l’homme are campaigning against such devices, fearing that what is presented as a temporary experiment may in fact become permanent.
Earlier in January, law commission senators added additional privacy safeguards, including increased oversight by the CNIL, France’s data protection authority.
Algorithmic training before the start of the Olympics should comply with confidentiality rules and humans should be involved, according to the text voted on Tuesday. Senators also want the public to be better informed.
Amendments to introduce facial recognition were however rejected.
The bill now goes to the National Assembly.