The new Federal Commissioner for Data Protection, Louisa Specht-Riemenschneider, is critical of the so-called security package of the traffic light government. “I see many open questions regarding data protection law”she told the Düsseldorf-based Handelsblatt newspaper on Tuesday. in the planned biometric facial recognition It needs to be clarified which tool is used to compare wanted posters with publicly available photos.
Specht-Riemenschneider pointed out that the authorities in the Netherlands, for example, are using the photo database of the US AI provider Clearview for not permitted under data protection law would have explained.
“It is completely unclear whether the package of measures proposed by the traffic light coalition also wants to use such providers of private services or not,” said the data protection officer. “We have to clarify that.” In addition, such a measure would be about “the level of intervention that we must define in order to check whether a measure is permissible or impermissible”.
When it comes to accused persons, the Interference with fundamental rights less serious than if they were innocent people, explained the data protection officer. “If completely innocent people – victims and witnesses – were constantly recorded, then that would be a very serious infringement of fundamental rights,” she warned.
Therefore, it must be clarified whether Data of non-suspect persons recorded and how long they would then be stored. “This data should actually be deleted immediately,” demanded Specht-Riemenschneider.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) presented the package of measures of the traffic light government together with Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) in response to the knife attack in Solingen It was discussed for the first time in the Bundestag last week. The package also includes, among other things, stricter rules for carrying knives as well as cuts in benefits for certain refugees who are required to leave the country. (AFP)
