During the examination of the text at the Palais du Luxembourg, the debates notably revolved around the controversial experimentation of so -called intelligent video surveillance devices.
by Jeremiah Lamothe
A “542 days, four hours and nine minutes” of the opening ceremony, as recalled by the Macronist senator Didier Rambaud (Isère), the Senate adopted at first reading, Tuesday, January 31, to an overwhelming majority the bill relating to the Olympic and Paralympic Games (JOP) of 2024.
Including many controversial security measures, this text is an “essential milestone in our preparation” for these competitions, where 13 million spectators are expected, welcomed at the end of the solemn election, the Minister of Sports and Olympic and paralympic games, Amélie Oudéa-Castera. In a palace in Luxembourg dominated by the Republicans (LR) and centrists, the bill was voted with 245 votes to, 28 against – Communists and environmentalists -, and 64 abstentions coming mainly from socialist ranks.
As during his examination in public session last week, explanations of group voting on Tuesday afternoon, mainly revolved around article 7. This allows “the experiment” of surveillance cameras or drones with algorithms to “detect in real time” crowd movements in order to “ensure the safety of sporting, recreational or cultural events which (…) are particularly exposed to risks of acts of terrorisms or serious damage to people safety “. With these “intelligent, but anonymized algorithms, we can manage the crowd movements in transport”, had defended Amélie Oudéa-Castera, from October 12 in front of the Senators.
Considered by the National Commission for Data Protection (CNIL) as “a turning point that will help define the role that will be entrusted in our society to these technologies”, this so -called intelligent video surveillance device can be deployed from The entry into force of the law and will be applicable until “June 30, 2025”. Or more than nine months after the end of the JOP (from July 26 to August 11, then from August 28 to September 8). A very wide field of application, denounced by left -wing groups in the Senate. 2> “a security Trojan”
“Several measures presented as temporary experiments are led to be perpetuated beyond the only deadline of the games”, denounced the socialist senator of Saône-et-Loire, Jérôme Durain, for whom this text “n ‘ is not the right legislative vehicle to wear such heavy choices “.
In the process, the communist senator of Seine-Saint-Denis, Eliane Assassi, deplored a “security inclination” of the government, “directly inspired by the management of the World Cups in Russia or in Qatar”, which does not ” will undergo a spontaneous popular momentum for a major sporting event “. Denouncing “a security Trojan horse”, which will put “France under a bell”, the environmental senator Guy Benarroche has for his part “the drift of this government to a surveillance company”.
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