EDE (AFR used by Austrian Criminal Intelligence Service)
Deployment Purpose: Criminal investigations
| Summary |
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| 0 |
Products and Institutions:
Status and Events:
| Status | Ongoing |
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| Events | Start (1 August 2020, Documented, ?, No description) |
| Start Date | |
| End Date |
Users:
| Involved Entities | Cognitec Systems Atos |
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| Managed by | Austrian Criminal Intelligence Service Ministry of the Interior (Austria) |
| Used by |
Location:
| City | Vienna |
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| Country ⠉ | Austria |
Description[ ]
Austria started implementing facial recognition in August 2020 using the so-called criminal identification database containing about 1,250,000 images of criminals, missing persons, dead bodies, and crime scenes. The facial recognition system was produced by Cognitec Systems and implemented by Atos IT Solutions. Solely the Criminal Intelligence Service can use the database for searches in the context of criminal investigations. Including the criminal investigation departments of the federal states is planned, however. Investigators and police need to request such a search made by experts at the Criminal Intelligence Service. The inclusion of civil databases such as driver’s licenses or social security register is permitted. The police can request these pictures for investigations. Two databases are concerned: the criminal identification Database (Erkennungsdienstliche Evidenz, EDE) and the central register of foreigners (Integriertes Zentrales Fremdenregister, IZR), both of which are maintained and owned by the Federal Ministry of Interior. Legally it would be possible to search both databases during a facial recognition search. Technically, however, only EDE can be used. EDE includes personal data, criminal offences, date and origin of the biometric data. Furthermore, EDE is connected to databases that provide DNA information, fingerprints, images of an offender, missing persons or dead bodies, and crime scene images (TELEFI 2021). The ministry of the interior maintains 13 databases with pictures, including two analysis platforms..
The association Epicenter.works criticizes the system as it is unclear where the significant amount of data for the reference database would come from. Furthermore, the system can be filtered for metadata such as the origin of an individual, which might lead to racial profiling and discrimination (Epicenter.works 2019). The facial recognition software was used during protests, for instance, during a confrontation of Kurdish activists with Turkish nationalists in Vienna. The facial recognition software was used to identify suspects during the altercations of protestors in June and July 2020 (Sulzbacher 2020).
Epicenter.works (17.07.2019). Gesichtserkennung in Österreich: woher stamen die Daten? Retrieved on 18 April 2021 from https://epicenter.works/content/gesichtserkennung-in-oesterreich-woher-stammen-die-daten
Sulzbacher, Markus (15.09.2020). Polizei nutzt neue Gesichtserkennung, um Demonstranten zu identifizieren. Retrieved on 18 April 2021 from https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000119996329/polizei-nutzt-neue-gesichtserkennung-um-demonstranten-zu-identifizieren
TELEFI Project (January, 2021). Summary Report of the project “Towards the European Level Exchange of Facial Images”. Retrieved on 18 April 2021 from https://www.telefi-project.eu/sites/default/files/TELEFI_SummaryReport.pdf
References
- ^ "Summary Report of the project “Towards the European Level Exchange of Facial Images” (TELEFI)". (2021) <https://www.telefi-project.eu/sites/default/files/TELEFI_SummaryReport.pdf> Accessed: 2021-03-12