Supreme Court to Hear Facial Recognition Plea
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a petition challenging the alleged use of facial recognition technology and other biometric surveillance tools by Delhi Police at protest sites. The plea, filed by CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP A.A. Rahim, raises concerns over privacy, free speech and the right to peaceful assembly.
Supreme Court to Hear Facial Recognition Plea
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana tagged Rahim’s petition with other pending cases concerning recent student protests.
The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the legality of the surveillance measures. At this stage, it has only agreed to examine the petition and the constitutional questions raised.
MP Challenges Delhi Police Biometric Surveillance
The petition alleges that protesters, journalists and other citizens were subjected to facial recognition and biometric monitoring without adequate statutory safeguards.
It refers to the alleged use of mobile command-and-control systems, AI-powered smart glasses and fingerprint-matching tools during demonstrations.
Rahim argues that existing laws do not authorise indiscriminate biometric surveillance of people participating in peaceful protests.
Plea Seeks Limits on Facial Recognition
The petition seeks a declaration that indiscriminate facial recognition surveillance at peaceful demonstrations is unconstitutional.
It also seeks restrictions on the use of such technology until an appropriate statutory framework is introduced, along with greater disclosure about surveillance systems and databases used by authorities.
The plea further calls for deletion of biometric information belonging to individuals who are not accused of criminal offences.
The case could have wider implications for how facial recognition and AI-powered surveillance are regulated at public demonstrations across India.
