Surveillance technologies increasingly monitor public gatherings across Europe, but how do people actually feel about it?

The GATHERINGS project set out to answer this question through its Living Labs in Austria, Bulgaria, and Greece. These real-world research environments brought together citizens, vulnerable communities, law enforcement, event organisers, and security professionals to explore perceptions of surveillance in diverse public settings.

Insights from the Living Labs reveal a nuanced picture. Most participants were unaware of the surveillance in place, yet it still influenced their sense of safety, positively or negatively, depending on the context. Law enforcement was viewed as protective at sports events but seen as threatening at protests. Private security was generally more trusted at festivals.

The Living Labs also exposed divergent views on surveillance tools: while body cams were welcomed for increasing police accountability, AI and drones raised concerns due to their perceived lack of transparency and purpose. Across all groups, people expressed greater trust in visible human actors than in impersonal technologies.

For vulnerable populations (including migrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, and disabled persons) surveillance brought additional concerns, particularly around bias and a lack of training among private security staff. Community-based approaches like “Awareness Teams” emerged as preferred alternatives to militarised security, especially among women and marginalised groups.

These findings underscore the need for human-centred, transparent, and participatory surveillance practices.

Learn more insights from Greece, Bulgaria and Austria here!