Europe was already in the midst of a high-stakes debate over the ethics and legality of facial recognition technologies and mass surveillance - which the coronavirus pandemic has now brought to the fore.
"The EU has been a haven for unlawful biometric experimentation and surveillance," according to the Brussels-based NGO European Digital Rights (EDRi).
And Belgium is so far the only member state which stated facial recognition is in breach of national law, although Enjoy access to all articles and 25 years of archives, comment and gift articles. Become a member for as low as €1,75 per week.To read this story, log in or subscribe
Elena is EUobserver's editor-in-chief. She is from Spain and has studied journalism and new media in Spanish and Belgian universities. Previously she worked on European affairs at VoteWatch Europe and the Spanish news agency EFE.
Elena is EUobserver's editor-in-chief. She is from Spain and has studied journalism and new media in Spanish and Belgian universities. Previously she worked on European affairs at VoteWatch Europe and the Spanish news agency EFE.