Public Tracking and Surveillance

Public bodies have widely digitalized their services, which has exponentially increased the amount of personal data they collect. Worldwide, 155 of 195 countries have adopted legislation to protect privacy, but recent actions seem to be trending in the other direction. For example, the U.S. is increasing its use of social media surveillance and AI-driven profiling to aid immigration enforcement. This includes the expansion of biometric surveillance; the deployment of ImmigrationOS, an AI-driven data-mining tool designed to identify, track, and deport individuals suspected of lacking legal status; and other AI-enhanced monitoring, including advanced facial recognition and license-plate tracking systems.

Looking ahead, the central concern is the potential for AI-powered federal overreach. Without strict safeguards, aggregated datasets could be repurposed for surveillance, profiling, or automated decision-making that affects public benefits access or law enforcement actions. Ensuring robust data-protection standards, clear limitations on interagency data flows, independent oversight, and mechanisms for public redress will be essential.