Malta ditches 'Safe City' video surveillance programme

The government of Malta said it would terminate a plan with Chinese technology company Huawei to install a facial recognition system in Paceville and Marsa - so-called 'problem areas' of the island. 

Plans for 'Safe City Malta' first emerged in 2016, when Huawei announced an agreement with the Maltese authorities. 

The project hit the headlines after it was accused of being unjustified, and due to Huawei's controversial reputation. The brainchild of disgraced former Malta Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, it was also seen as tainted with cronyism.

In 2018, Malta-based United Nations’ data protection rapporteur Professor Joseph Cannataci met with Safe City Malta director Joe Cuschieri to express his concerns about privacy and the system's potential for 'nationwide deployment'.

In 2019, European Commissioner for Justice Vera Jourova responded to a letter from then prospective European Parliament candidate Michael Briguglio asking questions about the system by recommending that the Safe City project undergo a data protection impact assessment in order to comply with EU law.