Back in 2019, we started one of our first actions in the field of artificial intelligence by bringing to light the Smart Policing program of the Greek Police in collaboration with Intracom-Telecom.

The purpose of this project? The purchase of 1,000 portable devices that would enable functions like facial recognition, fingerprint scanning, document identification, and license plate recognition in urban centers during police checks.

We acted promptly and, in March 2020, requested the Data Protection Authority to investigate the matter, as, according to our legal analysis, processing biometric data in the context of using these devices would not be legal.

Since August 2020, the Authority has been investigating the case. The State paid the 4 million euros, and the company delivered the devices to the Hellenic Police. The latest development was in October 2024, when the Hellenic Police decided, starting from the first quarter of 2025, to use the document/license plate recognition functions of the devices to issue fines for violations of the Road Traffic Code.

We are glad that our swift action and the investigation by the Data Protection Authority froze the use of the invasive facial recognition and fingerprint scanning functions of these devices. However, the relevant decision by the Authority must be published immediately.

The 4.5 years of investigation by the Data Protection Authority also reveal that the state must support the Data Protection Authority, as the high level of expertise of its inspectors is not enough, and more human and financial resources are needed. And all this without considering the increased workload expected in the coming years with the AI Act.

You can read more about this in our latest study on the AI Act, pages 51-54 here.