GATHERINGS is a project funded by the Horizon Europe Programme that looks to make public gatherings safer through privacy-friendly, cost-effective surveillance.
The GATHERINGS project will investigate the surveillance of public gatherings in order to:
Make them safer.
But also to increase the fairness and transparency of surveillance by making it more respectful of privacy.
While keeping an eye on the cost, both economically and socially.
This will bring about harmonisation of good practices in the EU-context, and the formulation of common standards regarding the securitisation of public gatherings in line with privacy and transparency standards, while taking into account the impact on vulnerable social groups.
While individual security agents can engage in surveillance practices and consequently collect citizens' personal data, collaboration between multiple agents (public and private) creates a much more complex picture with regard to privacy, public safety and data transfer and transparency.
GATHERINGS addresses the complexity of these surveillant assemblages in the context of public gatherings, that is, in the context of people getting together in public spaces, during planned (commercial or noncommercial) events (such as music festivals, Christmas markets, farmer markets, street parties, religious celebrations), as well as public protests, and during spontaneous assemblies, such as impromptu public parties or celebrations after a sporting event.
To understand the competing needs and interests of different stakeholders in relation to large scale surveillance of public gatherings;
To raise awareness among citizens about different forms of surveillance in public spaces and about applicable rights;
To strengthen the protection of public spaces while reducing the need for continuous and expensive data collection and storage;
To foster a proportionate and justified use of surveillance systems and collected personal data;
To encourage cross-border exchange of good practices in relation to the surveillance of public spaces among Police Authorities in EU Member States.
The GATHERINGS project will be implemented through a series of steps that look to paint a picture of the current status of surveillance, assess stakeholder needs, and develop good practices in surveillance, as well as awareness-raising programmes.
01. Map and understand existing surveillance practices and the European Level in terms of effectiveness, privacy, cost, and social impact
02. Foster a use of surveillance systems and personal data that is grounded in actual and justified needs and develop and pilot-test a security-privacy-cost evaluation matrix.
03. Strengthen the cooperation between different stakeholders and ensure that surveillance practices reflect their needs and interests.
04. Identify international good practices in terms of large-scale surveillance of public spaces and develop common standards that harmonise surveillance practices in EU Member States.
05. Raise awareness among surveillance professionals about the common standards for data management and protection across EU Member States, and reduce the vulnerability and strengthen the resilience of citizens in vulnerable areas.
GATHERINGS will target a variety of stakeholders using different strategies
Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
