The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear a writ petition filed by Rajya Sabha CPI(M) MP AA Rahim against the deployment of facial recognition technology(FRT) and allied biometric-surveillance measures by police at protest sites.
So spectacles are used and a vehicle is also used.
These private entities host the data in violation of the DPDP Act," she submitted.
BackgroundThe main grievance raised in the petition is that the Delhi police carried out surveillance in a complete legal vacuum.
It has been argued that neither the Delhi Police standing orders governing protests, nor the Criminal Procedure(Identification) Act, 2022, authorises the biometric surveillance of persons in a civilian assembly.
The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear a writ petition filed by Rajya Sabha CPI(M) MP AA Rahim against the deployment of facial recognition technology(FRT) and allied biometric-surveillance measures by police at protest sites.
A bench of CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana tagged the petition along with the other pending petitions concerning the recent student protests organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP).
Senior Advocate Dr Menaka Guruswamy, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that the petition was filed in the context of the Delhi police using digital tools for the surveillance of protesters at Jantar Mantar. She submitted that the services of two private entities, Aditya Infotech Ltd and Dimension NXG Pvt Ltd, are used, and that data was processed and stored in violation of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
"One maps your face, and the other is a vehicle. So spectacles are used and a vehicle is also used. And that data is all taken without permission. These private entities host the data in violation of the DPDP Act," she submitted. The bench agreed to consider the matter.
Background
The main grievance raised in the petition is that the Delhi police carried out surveillance in a complete legal vacuum. It has been argued that neither the Delhi Police standing orders governing protests, nor the Criminal Procedure(Identification) Act, 2022, authorises the biometric surveillance of persons in a civilian assembly.
