Facial-recognition tech set for EU green light

The European Union has scrapped the possibility of a ban on facial recognition technology in public space, under the latest proposals.

An earlier draft by the European Commission had broached the idea of a moratorium of up to five years to give the bloc time to work out how to prevent abuses.

Facial recognition artificial intelligence has sparked a global debate about the pros and cons of a technology widely used by law enforcement agencies but abused by authoritarian regimes for mass and discriminatory surveillance.

Critics say the technology can infringe people's fundamental rights and breach data privacy rules.

The revised proposal, part of a package of measures to address the challenges of artificial intelligence, could still be tweaked as the commission is seeking feedback before it presents its plan on February 19. The proposed rules would cover so-called high-risk sectors such as health care and transport.

The US government has unveiled its own regulatory guidelines on artificial intelligence aimed at limiting overreach by authorities and urged Europe to avoid aggressive approaches. Microsoft president Brad Smith has said that a facial recognition technology ban is akin to using a cleaver instead of a scalpel to solve potential problems.