Study / report

Surveillance of peaceful assemblies in the OSCE region: human rights implications and strategies for independent monitoring

Surveillance of peaceful assemblies in the OSCE region: human rights implications and strategies for independent monitoring

The rapid advance of digital technology and its growing deployment into protest policing has significant implications for the freedom of peaceful assembly. At the same time, new surveillance tools and practices have changed the nature of policing. These technologies offer law enforcement unprecedented potential to track, monitor and identify participants at assemblies. In short, despite their resemblance to existing tools, today’s advanced surveillance technologies represent a step change in the ability, scope and scale of law enforcement capability. 

This report details how effective monitoring of surveillance tools is becoming increasingly challenging, and it demonstrates that the need to hold these powerful systems and their uses to account has never been more important.

Date:
Source:
OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
Publisher:
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Focus area(s):
Freedom of peaceful assembly Human rights and new technologies
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The views, opinions, conclusions and other information expressed in this document are not given nor necessarily endorsed by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) unless the OSCE is explicitly defined as the Author of this document.