Leak shows EU police aim to create an international facial recognition database

EU police forces plan to build a network of national police facial recognition databases covering every member state, according to internal documents obtained by The Intercept.

The report from national police forces of 10 EU member states, led by Austria, called for new EU legislation that would enable this interconnected database to be created “as quickly as possible.” The document was circulated among officials last November. The Intercept reports that preparatory work on the legislation is already underway.

The report was produced as part of discussions to add facial images to the remit of the Prüm Convention, which currently allows member states to exchange DNA, fingerprints, and vehicle registration data. It calls for Europol, the EU’s law enforcement agency, to play a role in exchanging biometric data with countries outside the block, raising concerns that the system could be connected to facial recognition databases in the US.