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Conseil d'État Upholds Ban on Nice's Algorithmic Video Surveillance at School Entrances

The court ruled that current law provides no legal basis for algorithms to conduct continuous automated analysis of public camera images.

Overview

  • France's highest administrative court rejected Nice's appeal of a CNIL order, confirming the prohibition as of January 30, 2026.
  • The program, launched in 2020, monitored 144 school entrances and triggered alerts when a vehicle remained for more than five minutes.
  • Judges classified the tool as algorithmic processing of personal data and found no legal text authorizing such systematic automated analysis.
  • Mayor Christian Estrosi criticized the ruling and called for changes to permit municipal use of these technologies.
  • Nice operates nearly 5,000 cameras and has tested other algorithmic detections, drawing scrutiny from rights groups and parts of the opposition.