Upcoming Israeli legislation would expand surveillance in public spaces by utilizing facial recognition.

The bill infringes upon digital rights, according to critics.

The bill, supported by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Justice Minister Yariv Levin, allows police to implement facial recognition cameras in towns and cities.

Any Israeli police officer may operate the cameras to allegedly fight organized crime.

The bill offers no oversight, allowing police to have widespread authority to gather information on citizens.

Unregulated access to the cameras and biometric data may result in misuse and violate civil liberties.

Reporting from Reclaim the Net:

It gives access to personal data not only to the Israeli police force but also to wider authorities, including the military and intelligence agencies, under directives from the National Security Minister. The existing surveillance infrastructure also includes the Hawk-Eye system, monitoring vehicle activity, and the Tool system that records mobile phone data.