São Paulo METRO SecureOS facial recognition
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SecureOS is a facial recognition solution developed by Intelligent Security Systems (ISS) and deployed by Brazil’s São Paulo Metrô.
The solution was deployed to protect passengers and was supposedly compliant with Brazil’s General Data Protection Act.
Operator: Companhia do Metropolitano de São Paulo (METRO)
Developer: Intelligent Security Systems (ISS)
Country: Brazil
Sector: Govt - transport
Purpose: Strengthen security; Increase safety
Technology: Facial recognition
Issue: Accuracy/reliability; Bias/discrimination - race, ethnicity, LGBTQ; Privacy; Surveillance
Transparency: Governance; Privacy; Black box; Marketing; Legal
Risks and harms 🛑
METRO has been accused of violating citizen privacy, as well as inadequate transpareny and accountability.
São Paulo court judge Cynthia Thome ordered the company responsible for running Sao Paulo's metro system to suspend use of its facial recognition system as part of its broader implementation of the SecurOS electronic surveillance system, ZDNet reported.
Brasilian consumer rights body Idec, civil rights group Intervozes and other rights organisations had lodged the lawsuit against Companhia do Metropolitano de São Paulo (METRO) alleging abuse of privacy on the basis that it had failed to inform subway users about the purpose and scope of its facial biometrics system and data storage and sharing practices, and had not obtained users' consent.
In addition to suspending its SecurOS system, METRO was ordered to stop the roll-out of new equipment for data capture and biometrics processing for facial recognition, and was set a daily fine should it fail to comply.
Information about METRO's facial biometrics system had been released during a May 2021 lawsuit in which METRO operator Via Quatro had been ordered to terminate its 'abusive' use of facial recognition technology installed in platform doors.
Regulation ⚖️
Research, advocacy 🧮
IDEC (2018). Acao Civil Publica (pdf)
TAdviser (2021). São Paulo Metro SecureOS
News, commentary, analysis 🗞️
Page info
Type: System
Published: March 2022
Last updated: May 2024