Rights and surveillance

With ever-increasing surveillance capability, there is a corresponding growth in concerns about misuse. Such issues need balancing, in part by definition of rights.

The EU-funded PARIS (Privacy preserving infrastructure for surveillance) project aims to provide such a definition. The eight-member consortium plans to develop and demonstrate a new surveillance infrastructure that enforces citizens' rights to privacy, justice and freedom. The infrastructure will also include the evolving nature of such rights.

Using a methodological approach, the team will focus on two issues: accountability and a process for designing surveillance systems that duly addresses privacy. Furthermore, two use cases will be addressed. The first involves data archived from video search technology; the second considers data from embedded sensors in biometrics technology. PARIS runs for three years, from the start of 2013 to the end of 2015.

Coming from different backgrounds, the partners first shared with each other their respective approaches to privacy. Doing so helped establish a combined vision.

Other work during the reporting period addressed the project's five objectives, particularly regarding development of the socio-ethical legal technological (SALT) framework. The team also progressed identification of the requirements for a SALT framework management tool, and detailed the process compliance concept. Additional work helped to identify the necessary demonstrators, and described how the framework will be integrated into upcoming project phases.

The group has also addressed management and dissemination activities.

PARIS has made progress towards its proposed framework, addressing rights and ethics concerning surveillance.