The European Commission has reiterated that the use of artificial intelligence-powered facial recognition in publicly accessible spaces is prohibited under the European Union’s AI Act, following debate over a proposed Italian law that would expand the use of biometric surveillance.
The proposed Italian legislation would allow biometric data collected from individuals passing security cameras in designated sensitive areas to be stored for up to seven days.
The initiative has faced strong criticism from opposition parties, raising concerns over privacy and civil liberties.
European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act clearly prohibits the use of facial recognition systems in publicly accessible spaces.
“Facial recognition in publicly accessible public spaces is a practice prohibited by the AI Act. This provision has been in force since last year and will be fully implemented during this year,” Regnier said.
He stressed that the European Union does not support the use of artificial intelligence to monitor citizens’ movements in public places.
“We do not want artificial intelligence to be used to monitor where people move in public spaces every day. This is a clear prohibition,” he said.
Regnier, however, declined to comment directly on the Italian draft legislation, saying the European Commission had not yet assessed all of its provisions.
Meanwhile, sources from Palazzo Chigi, the seat of the Italian government, told Corriere della Sera that Italy will continue to fully comply with European legislation, including the AI Act, while respecting constitutional guarantees and the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms.
Government officials also said Italy remains at the forefront of AI governance in Europe.
“Italy was the first country in Europe to adopt a comprehensive legal framework for artificial intelligence and implement it rapidly. The government will continue working toward the development and use of AI that places human beings at the center and remains under human control,” the government sources said.
The exchange highlights growing scrutiny across Europe over the balance between public security, technological innovation, and the protection of privacy as the AI Act begins to take full effect across the European Union.
