Overview
- The RIPOST public safety bill is now under parliamentary review, and Paris police are seeking clear legal approval to use algorithms on live surveillance feeds.
- Police leaders point to the scale of the system, with about 5,000 cameras they control and access to roughly 30,000 through SNCF and RATP, which they say exceeds what humans can watch in real time.
- Tests during the Olympic period two years ago showed the software could spot intrusions near Vaires-sur-Marne and people on train tracks, though some programs also mistook bright reflections for fires.
- Officials argue similar alerts could have sped recent cases by flagging a lift basket on the Louvre facade or by tracing a suspect’s route after an RER assault.
- Authorities promise guardrails that include no facial recognition, no individual files, and automatic deletion of footage after 72 hours, with a Senate debate expected in mid-May.