Critical
Saving faces: On protests, biometric surveillance
India normalises mass biometric surveillance at political gatherings, lacking proper legislative and judicial oversight. Delhi Police deployed facial recognition and other tech, some via private contractors, at protests, despite existing laws limiting biometric collection. This raises significant privacy and civil liberty concerns, potentially chilling the right to protest. Without clear statutes, data processing agreements, and answers on false positives, indiscriminate use of such technology is unjustifiable, critically failing to protect fundamental rights.
The Hindu · The Hindu · Aug 21, 2026 at 5:56 PM