Facial Recognition in Latin America: Towards a Human Rights-Based Legal Framework to Protect Public Spaces from Mass Surveillance

Abstract

This policy paper addresses the challenges posed by the use of facial recognition technologies in public spaces in Latin America. It states that these systems are being deployed without strong legal safeguards, without privacy impact assessments being carried out and through low-level norms that impede a public, broad and inclusive debate. Therefore, it recommends that facial recognition systems should be banned because of their serious impact on rights such as privacy, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and data protection.