Berlin Südkreuz rail station algorithmic surveillance 

Berlin Südkreuz is a rail station and transport interchange junction in southern Berlin that has been used by a number of recent German governments as a laboratory for live biometric and other forms of surveillance.

In August 2017, Germany's Ministry of the Interior started a six-month pilot, later extended to twelve months, to assess the facial recognition capabilities of three systems tracking 312 volunteers wearing transponders and who were added to a special police database.

Risks and harms 🛑

The use of facial recognition and other forms of surveillance at Berlin Südkreuz station has raised concerns including loss of human rights, including privacy, bias, inaccuracy and potential for misuse. 

Research, advocacy 🧮

• Fontes C., Hohma E., Corrigan C.C., Lütge C. (2022). AI-powered public surveillance systems: why we (might) need them and how we want them

• Report for the Greens/EFA in the European Parliament (2021). Biometric and Mass Surveillance in EU Member States

• Eireiner A., V. (2020). Imminent dystopia? Media coverage of algorithmic surveillance at Berlin-Südkreuz

Legal, regulatory 👩🏼‍⚖️

• Bundespolizeipräsidium Potsdam (2018). Biometrische Gesichtserkennung (pdf)  

• Deutscher Bundestag (2018). Answers to Written Questions

News, commentary, analysis 🗞️

• https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-security-idUSKBN1AH4VR

• https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/02/facial-recognition-software-catch-terrorists-tested-berlin-station/

• https://www.politico.eu/article/berlin-big-brother-state-surveillance-facial-recognition-technology/

• https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-facial-recognition-pilot-program-divides-public/a-40228816

• https://www.dw.com/en/big-brother-in-berlin-face-recognition-technology-gets-tested/a-39912905

• https://www.dw.com/en/in-germany-controversy-still-surrounds-video-surveillance/a-50976630

• https://www.dw.com/en/facial-recognition-surveillance-test-extended-at-berlin-train-station/a-41813861

• https://automatingsociety.algorithmwatch.org/report2020/germany/

• https://fortune.com/2020/02/02/facial-recognition-police-privacy-bias-germany-uk/

• https://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/netzpolitik/berlin-gesichtserkennung-am-suedkreuz-ueberwachung-soll-ausgeweitet-werden-a-1232878.html

• https://www.euractiv.com/section/data-protection/news/german-ministers-plan-to-expand-automatic-facial-recognition-meets-fierce-criticism/