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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
Technology
Asharq Al-Awsat

Lawmakers Vote on Paris Olympic Law with Surveillance Fears

The Olympics Paris 2024 official mascot "Phryge" displays at the construction site of the athletes' village of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Saint-Ouen, north of Paris, France, 24 March 2023. (EPA)

A proposed French law for the 2024 Paris Olympics that critics contend will open the door for privacy-busting video surveillance technology in France and elsewhere in Europe faces an important hurdle on Tuesday with lawmakers set to vote on it.

The bill would legalize the temporary use of so-called intelligent surveillance systems to safeguard the Paris Games, which run next year from July 26-Aug. 11, and the Paralympics that follow. The systems combine cameras with artificial intelligence software to flag potential security concerns, such as abandoned packages or crowd surges. Human operators would decide whether action is needed.

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