Brazil Advances Surveillance Legislation Amid Privacy Concerns
Brazil is rapidly expanding its surveillance capabilities through three key initiatives, raising significant privacy concerns. The Chamber of Deputies passed Bill No. 1,828/2023, which would authorize facial recognition technology in public transit and government buildings nationwide. While this version includes improvements like prohibiting biometric data processing for minors and restricting mass surveillance, Data Privacy Brasil argues it still permits broad biometric surveillance without sufficient vetting, potentially leading to misidentification, particularly of Black individuals. Additionally, Bill No. 3,630/2025, approved by the Chamber of Deputies and advancing in the Senate, would allow private businesses to process and publish images and audio of individuals suspected of crimes on their premises. Data Privacy Brasil criticizes this, stating it bypasses due process and could harm reputations based on unproven accusations. Lastly, the Smart Sampa Cidadão app in São Paulo enables residents to photo...
