Greece fined for AI-powered asylum centre monitoring system
The Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum was fined EUR 175,000 for incorrectly developing and installing two surveillance systems at asylum centres on the Aegean islands. Centaur is an integrated digital Electronic and Physical Security management system that uses cameras, drones and motion analysis algorithms to control reception and hospitality structures for third-country citizens on the Aegean islands . Another system, Hyperion, is described as an integrated entry-exit control system. Asylum seekers, certified members of NGOs and other guests present cards read by an RFID [Radio Frequency Identification] reader combined with a fingerprint through which personal data and biometric data are processed . The Greek Data Protection Authority (DPA) found that there was deficient cooperation on the part of the ministry as the Controller. It further ruled that the required Data Protection Impact Assessments carried out by the ministry were incomplete and constituted serious omissions regarding the ministry’s compliance with specific provisions of the European Union's GDPR regarding implementation of disputed systems . Both systems received funding from the European Union. The fine is the largest imposed on a Greek public body to date . System 🤖 Centaur Hyperion Operator: Ministry of Immigration and Asylum Developer: Ministry of Immigration and Asylum Country: Greece Sector: Gov t - immigration Purpose: Monitor asylum centres Technology: Computer vision; Drone; Machine learning; Motion analysis Issue: Privacy Regulation ⚖️ EU General Data Protection Regulation Legal, regulatory 👩🏼⚖️ Hellenic Data Protection Authority (2024). Ministry of Migration and Asylum receives administrative fine and GDPR compliance order following an own-initiative investigation by the Hellenic Data Protection Authority Hellenic Data Protection Authority (2024). Διοικητικό πρόστιμο και εντολή για συμμόρφωση με τον ΓΚΠΔ στο ΥMΑ στο πλαίσιο αυτεπάγγελτης έρευνας της Αρχής
- Date it happened
- 2021-01-01
- Organisation involved
- Ministry of Immigration and Asylum
- Product, system or model
- Centaur; Hyperion
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