On September 21st, 2020, the Legislature of the City of Buenos Aires has started a debate to regulate the implementation of facial recognition systems in public spaces.

Legislators from the political group Frente de todos have introduced a bill to reform the Sistema Integral de Seguridad Pública, a bill framing the public security system. Through this bill, legislators intend to debate the regulation of the facial recognition systems.

Since 2019, the government of Buenos Aires has allowed the installation of a facial recognition system on 300 surveillance cameras in the city. The facial recognition system used to detect and target fugitives (Sistema de Reconocimiento Facial de Prófugos) associated with the national system for rebellion and captures (Consulta Nacional de Rebeldías y Capturas) were intended to provide to Argentinian justice authorities a way to find people on a list of 46 000 judicial fugitives at the national level. 

Through this bill, the legislators want to propose “to establish general guidelines for the design of criteria for the establishment of video surveillance systems guaranteeing their rational use, i.e. according to precise and determined purposes”.

Legislators want to require the facial recognition system executing authority to transmit more information to the monitoring Committee of the Public Security System (Comité de Seguimiento del Sistema de Seguridad Pública) and the Ombudsman’s Office (Defensoría del Pueblo). 

For example, as a huge amount of video surveillance systems are installed among the country, it will be required to send information about the location of each device as well as clarifications on which of these systems are operating facial recognition software and what are the technical specifications of the facial recognition system or software used.

Some civilian organizations are also asking for regulation. For instance, the organization Fundación Vía Libre recalls the need to regulate facial recognition since these are “systems that have a direct impact on the Human Rights of all citizens, including central aspects such as the right to privacy, due process, the presumption of innocence, free movement and freedom of assembly in public space “.

Source: https://elintransigente.com/2020/09/reconocimiento-facial-la-legislatura-portena-debate-su-regularizacion-en-los-espacios-publicos/