Police are proposed to use cameras that automatically recognize the face of a suspected criminal and trigger an alarm.
The proposal has been rapidly approved by the government's investigator Kazimir Åberg.
This means that the police and Security Police, in accordance with the EU's new AI regulation, will be allowed to use camera surveillance with automatic facial recognition in real-time in public places.
For example, the police can have a passport photo of a suspected criminal and enter it into the camera system at locations where the person is believed to pass. If the suspect walks past such a location, the camera will automatically trigger an alarm to the police.
The suspect must, however, be suspected of a crime that can lead to at least four years in prison.
The technology will also be used to search for missing persons, such as victims of human trafficking and abduction. Or to prevent a terrorist attack.
To conduct such a camera tracking, permission will be required. Which authority will issue it is not specified in the proposal.
The Minister of Justice welcomes the proposal and believes that the investigator has made a thorough balancing act between the importance of effective crime fighting and the protection of individuals' privacy.
According to Strömmer, camera surveillance is necessary for effective crime fighting.
The government will not take a stance on the proposal until it has been out for comments.
The investigator is also proposing that the police be allowed to use cameras to recognize vehicle registration numbers more efficiently.
Another proposal is that the police will be given access to material from traffic cameras, such as congestion tax cameras, not just for investigating terrorist crimes, but also for a wide range of other crimes that can lead to at least three years in prison.
