BERLIN, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere defended a controversial surveillance pilot project on Thursday which uses new facial recognition technology.
Speaking on the ARD Morgenmagazin tv-show, de Maiziere insisted that the technology could be used to enhance Germany's security if it proved successful during an ongoing six-month test at the Suedkreuz Berlin railway station.
He also visited the Suedkreuz railway station later on the same day, saying that it remained to be clarified under what legal framework the technology could be used.
De Maiziere was responding to growing calls for an immediate halt to the pilot project following claims that federal police had misled 300 people who volunteered to participate in the scheme.
"The transponders which subjects carried with them for additional identification collect much more data than previously revealed by the federal police," said data protection organization Digitalcourage in a statement.
German Federal Privacy Commissioner Andrea Vosshoff voiced similar concerns in the Berliner Zeitung on Thursday, saying that participants had not been adequately informed. She demanded that federal police reapply for approval for the pilot project before continuing with tests.
Reacting to such criticism later in the day, de Maiziere said that the transponders' additional functions were never activated and the concerns of the privacy commissioner were thus based on "inaccurate information."
The Berlin Pirate Party, which frequently campaigns on digital privacy issues, has announced a demonstration at Suedkreuz station on Thursday.
