The Brussels Privacy Hub (BPH) is organising a Doctoral Seminar series to give the opportunity to Ph.D. candidates working on privacy and data protection topics at the Law, Science, Technology and Society (LSTS) to present and discuss their work in progress. The aim of the series is to offer Ph.D. students at all research stages a training ground to refine and practice debating their scientific work, as well as receive qualified feedback and questions from their peers and privacy and data protection experts. Each seminar will include a short presentation by the Ph.D. candidate, followed by an open discussion with the audience. Seminars are also open to external participants. Find more information here.
On 17 April 2023, 12:30h - 13:30h, Natalia Menéndez González (PhD candidate at the European University Institute) will present her research, entitled ‘With great power comes great responsibility: proportionality within the use of facial recognition technology’.
Abstract: Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) is a particularly challenging technology from a legal point of view. First, its unique nature (AI-empowered, algorithmically biased, contactless, unintrusive and pervasive) makes it particularly risky for human rights in general and the rights to privacy and data protection. Second, its use entails highly invasive scenarios which enhance current power dynamics. The current human rights legal framework has proven insufficient to tackle the legal complexity of FRT. This is demonstrated by the fact that new FRT deployments are conducted every day despite such regulations being in place. The author hypothesises that the principle of proportionality is the fitting legal test to ensure that, even when there could be a legal basis to justify the use of FRT, for instance, for national security purposes or according to the general public interest, such use is human rights compliant.
The link to the event will be send out in due time to the LSTS mailing list. Interested participants wishing to take part, who are not on that mailing list, can register by sending an email to Pablo.Rodrigo.Trigo.Kramcsak@vub.be.