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Balancing Safety, Privacy, and Fairness: Surveillance Insights from GATHERINGS' D2.1 Report

Publication date: 6th June 2025

The GATHERINGS project’s Surveillance Impact Report D2.1 offers an in-depth look into how surveillance technologies function in practice at public gatherings across Europe. Through interviews with over 50 security professionals from countries including Austria, Ireland, Greece, and Belgium, the report maps how surveillance assemblages impact safety, privacy, and vulnerable communities.

Key findings show that while tools like CCTV, drones, and AI-powered systems are widely embraced for enhancing security, they come with ethical and social risks, such as data misuse, the erosion of privacy, and chilling effects on public expression. Security professionals stressed that surveillance must remain human-led, with technology serving as a support, not a replacement.

One central theme is the need to distinguish between safety (preventing accidents) and security (responding to intentional threats). Confusion between the two, especially due to language limitations across Europe, can lead to ineffective or even harmful event planning.

The report also highlights serious gaps in how surveillance practices affect vulnerable groups. Communities such as migrants, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and children face disproportionate risks, from over-policing to algorithmic bias. Yet these risks are rarely accounted for in current planning or regulation.

Explore more here: https://gatherings-project.eu/result/surveillance-impact-report/