Sweden’s government has announced its decision to allow law enforcement to use real-time facial recognition technology from cameras in public places to identify individuals suspected of certain crimes. This decision comes after the European Union adopted regulations in March that banned the use of real-time facial recognition in public spaces except for specific exceptions for law enforcement purposes.
In December, the Swedish government initiated an inquiry to explore expanded powers for law enforcement to use camera surveillance, including facial recognition technology. The findings of this inquiry, presented to the government on Monday, aim to provide insight into the use of cameras for fighting crime. The head of the inquiry, Kazimir Aberg, stated that facial recognition technology should be allowed for crime-fighting purposes within the limits set by the EU’s AI regulations.
The exceptions outlined by the EU permit the use of facial recognition technology in public spaces to search for missing persons, suspected trafficking victims, and to prevent imminent threats like terrorist attacks. The technology can also be used to locate individuals suspected of committing certain criminal offenses. It is proposed that police should be authorized to use the technology only for crimes carrying a minimum four-year prison sentence and with approval from a judicial authority.
Additionally, the use of facial recognition technology should be limited to specific investigations and not used preventively. Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer expressed support for the proposal, stating that the balance between privacy concerns and effective crime-fighting measures had been addressed by the inquiry. The government plans to work on fleshing out the details of the plan in the near future, but no timeline has been provided for its implementation.
