INDECT, das europäische Totalüberwachungs-Programm, noch nicht vom “Radar der Öffentlichkeit” erfasst

Florian Rötzer, 18.01.2011, TELEPOLIS

Der innenpolitische Sprecher der FDP im Europaparlament kritisiert das Forschungsprojekt unter EU-Flagge, das in einem Mitgliedsstaat “so nicht durchsetzbar gewesen wäre”

Das umstrittene, mit 11 Millionen Euro geförderte EU-Forschungsprojekt INDECT gerät allmählich in die Aufmerksamkeit der Politik. INDECT[1] (Intelligent information system supporting observation, searching and detection for security of citizens in urban environment) soll ein in Städten flächendeckendes Überwachungssystem werden, gegen das die Vorratsdatenspeicherung noch harmlos klingt.

Möglichst alle verfügbaren Daten, inklusive Multimedia, also Bild- und Videodateien von Kameras auf dem Boden und in Drohnen (Fliegende Kameras für Europas Polizeien[2]), aus den Polizeidatenbanken und dem Internet sollen in Echtzeit auch durch virtuelle Agenten gesammelt, verbunden und “intelligent” ausgewertet werden, um automatisch Gefahren aufzudecken und “abnormales Verhalten oder Gewalt” zu erkennen. Dazu sollen “bewegliche Objekte” im Raum verfolgt werden (Allround-System für europäische Homeland Security[3]).

INDECT soll demnach ein “integriertes netzwerkzentriertes System zur Unterstützung der operativen Aktivitäten von Polizisten unter Bereitstellung von Techniken und Instrumenten zur Beobachtung verschiedener beweglicher Objekte” entwerfen. Man kann davon sprechen, dass nun die EU mit der angestrebten Totalüberwachung der realen und virtuellen Räume[4] ein europäisches Total Information Awareness Programm[5] schaffen, dessen Realisierung in den USA von Kongress durch Streichung der Gelder unterbunden[6] wurde.

Der innenpolitische Sprecher der FDP im Europaparlament Alexander Alvaro[7] sagte[8] dem Deutschlandradio, dass INDECT vom “Radar der Öffentlichkeit” bisher nicht erfasst worden sei. Auch Kritiker seien erst durch Bürgeranfragen darauf aufmerksam gemacht worden. Die Diskussion darüber, welche Daten hier eingegeben werden dürfen und wer verfolgt werden kann, sei noch gar nicht diskutiert worden. Nachdem seit Ende 2009 das Projekt bekannt wurde und kritische Anfragen kamen, hat man sich mehr und mehr zurückgezogen (Wer nichts getan hat, muss auch nichts befürchten[9]). Das kritisiert auch Alvaro, der rügt, dass die das Projekt begleitende Ethikkommission “leider dicht gemacht” habe, nachdem sich kritische Fragen gehäuft haben. Auch EU-Abgeordnete hätten keine Auskunft von der Kommission mehr bekommen, zudem sei die Erreichbarkeit über das Internet eingeschränkt worden. Man könne sich da schon fragen, welchen Sinn eine Ethik-Kommission dann noch hat.

Von der EU-Kommission wollte Alvaro in einer schriftlichen Anfrage wissen, “welche Definition dem Begriff ‘abnormales Verhalten’ zugrunde liegt?” Es obliege, so die Antwort, “den sich bewerbenden Konsortien, eine solche Definition vorzulegen, wenn sie einen Vorschlag einreichen. Der Ethik-Ausschuss habe befunden, dass alle “rechtlichen Vorschriften und Auflagen” eingehalten würden, die Stellungnahmen der Experten würden jedoch nicht veröffentlicht.

In jedem einzelnen Mitgliedsland hätte ein solches Projekt wie INDECT zu öffentlicher Kritik geführt, ist Alvaro der Überzeugung. Europa werde benutzt, “um unter dem Deckmantel europäischer Forschung oder von Arbeitsprojekten dann Maßnahmen einzuführen, die in einem Mitgliedsstaat so nicht durchsetzbar gewesen wären”. Im Zweifel müsse man für die Bürgerrechte sein und gegen den Ausbau eines derartigen Programms. Es sei allerdings schwer, einen Tanker wie Europa aufzuhalten, wenn er einmal auf Kurs ist.

Links:

[1] http://www.indect-project.eu/

[2] http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/31/31855/1.html

[3] http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/31/31802/1.html

[4] http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/31/31176/1.html

[5] http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/13/13647/1.html

[6] http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/15/15716/1.html

[7] http://www.alexander-alvaro.de/

[8] http://www.dradio.de/dkultur/sendungen/thema/1367715/

[9] http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/33/33282/1.html

Wer nichts getan hat, muss auch nichts befürchten

Matthias Monroy 08.09.2010

http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/0//1.html

Das EU-Sicherheitsforschungsprojekt INDECT geht zur Geheimniskrämerei über. Gleichzeitig werden erstmals Testreihen im öffentlichen Raum vorbereitet

In einem kürzlich auf der Projektseite (1) online gestellten Arbeitsbericht gehen die INDECT-Macher auf Konfrontationskurs mit der kritischen Öffentlichkeit. Weil sich die Projektbeteiligten von Journalisten und Datenschützern “missverstanden” fühlen, sollen Informationen nur noch gefiltert nach außen gelangen. Zuständig ist hierfür ein “Ethics Board”, das sich aus Polizisten, Überwachungsforschern und Professoren zusammensetzt. Die meisten Mitglieder des Ethikrats sind selbst an der INDECT-Forschung beteiligt.

Aus einer INDECT-Präsentation

INDECT hat sich viel vorgenommen: Das fünfjährige Projekt will mehrere Forschungsvorhaben in einer Überwachungsplattform integrieren, darunter biometrisch ausgewertete Videodaten, angeschlossene Datenbanken und das Internet. Fliegende Kameras sollen die Plattform ergänzen und zusammen mit Human-Polizisten auf Streife gehen ( Fliegende Kameras f�r Europas Polizeien (2)). Die gesammelten Informationen werden dann mittels Verfahren zur voraussagenden Analyse (“Predictive Analytics”) auf zu erwartende Straftaten analysiert. Nach Selbstauskunft will INDECT den EU-Polizeien gegen den Terrorismus zur Seite stehen. In der Öffentlichkeit wird dazu hierzulande – mit der Bekämpfung von Kinderpornographie geworben:

The INDECT Project is exceptionally oriented to avoid terrorism and serious criminal actions, also in Internet (e.g. paedophilia, child pornography) to increase security of citizens!

INDECT FAQ (3)

Tatsächlich geht es bei INDECT vielmehr um die zunehmend technisch angereicherte Überwachung des öffentlichen Raums ( Allround-System für europäische Homeland Security (4)). Im Rahmen einer Präsentation auf der jährlich stattfindenden Konferenz “Future Security” erklärte (5) der polnische Projektkoordinator Andrzej Dziech gegenüber Journalisten vor zwei Jahren (also noch vor offiziellem Projektbeginn), dass INDECT zur Fussball-EM 2012 in Polen getestet solle. Verdächtige Personen und auffälliges Verhalten würden demnach automatisiert analysiert und im Ereignisfall ein Alarm an einen Operator ausgegeben. Mittels Audio-Sensoren könnten zudem Fan-Gesänge ausgewertet werden und im Falle bedrohlicher Gesänge ebenfalls Human-Polizisten auf den Plan rufen.

Die Polizei in Warschau hat nun ihre Zustimmung (6) gegeben, Videomaterial von Kameras am Kultur- und Wissenschaftspalast sowie aus der Warschauer Metro für INDECT zu nutzen. Zugegriffen werden darf auf Live-Bilder und archiviertes Material. Die Polizisten erhoffen sich hierdurch eine “automatische Erkennung von Bedrohungen”, die eine effektivere Überwachung ermöglicht und Personal einspart. Auch Grenzpolizeien am Flughafen Poznan-Lawica zeigen sich interessiert, am Vorhaben “Detection of dangerous situations involving persons, including left luggage” zu partizipieren. Für Testreihen hat das INDECT-Konsortium zudem die Installation von Kameras an einem Gebäude der Krakauer University of Science and Technology, an der auch zum Projekt geforscht wird, beantragt. Die Ergebnisse aus Krakau sollen sowohl für INDECT als auch für das polnische Forschungsvorhaben INSIGMA (“Intelligent Information System for Detection and Recognition”) genutzt werden, das ebenfalls an der Krakauer Universität angesiedelt ist. Projektleiter für INSIGMA ist, wie für INDECT, der Professor Andrzej Dziech.

2013 sollen umfangreiche Abstimmungen mit den “Industriepartnern” erfolgen, um mittels Marktstudien die Einführung der entwickelten Technik in den Polizeialltag einzuleiten. Ein eigener Workshop widmet sich dem Treffen einer “intelligence community”, der sich offensichtlich an Angehörige europäischer Nachrichtendienste richtet. Gegen Ende des Projekts sollen weitere Veranstaltungen die Schulung von Polizisten am fertigen Produkt sicherstellen (“familiarize them with the system”). Schon jetzt wird INDECT auf diversen Konferenzen rund um Überwachung und Kontrolle promotet, darunter der jährlichen “Polish Platform for Homeland Security”. Später sollen ausdrücklich Zusammenkünfte von Verfolgungsbehörden zur Nutzung von Open Source Intelligence (7) (OSINT) hinzukommen.

INDECT will primär Anwendungen für “Homeland Security Services” entwickeln, die jetzt stärker in die Projektentwicklung einbezogen werden sollen. Als zweite Zielgruppe gelten “Industriepartner” und Forschungsinstitute. Um das Wir-Gefühl der Forschern und Adressaten zu fördern gibt das Projektkonsortium mehrere Veröffentlichungen heraus, darunter Broschüren und ein Poster für die Büros der Beteiligten. Als Verantwortlicher für die INDECT-Veröffentlichungen wurden Zoltán Nagy und Nils Johanning von INNOTEC-DATA bestimmt. Die Firma aus Bad Zwischenahn ist zusammen mit der Berliner PSI Transcom als deutscher Industriepartner beteiligt. Wissenschaftliche Unterstützung kommt vom Lehrstuhl für Automatisierungs- und Regelungstechnik der Bergischen Universität in Wuppertal.

Die Informationspolitik in einem der weitgehendsten EU-Forschungsprojekten zur technischen Optimierung von Überwachung und Kontrolle kann kaum als transparent bezeichnet werden. Kürzlich online gestellte Forschungsberichte stammen teilweise noch aus dem letzten Jahr. Nicht zuletzt deshalb wurde INDECT kürzlich von einem breiten Bündnis Wuppertaler Studierendengruppen für den diesjährigen Big Brother Award vorgeschlagen (8).

Abtauchen nach kritischen Presseberichten

Offensichtlich haben kritische Presseberichte vor allem im deutschsprachigen Raum die INDECT-Macher jetzt bewogen, das Verhältnis zur Öffentlichkeit zu überdenken. Dabei hat das Projekt selbst zur Empörung beigetragen: Für die Präsentation von Zwischenergebnissen hatte INDECT ein peinliches Werbevideo (9) erstellt, das den technokratischen Machbarkeitswahn der Forscher bestens illustriert. Der ernstgemeinte Film wurde nach Auskunft von Patrick Hasenfuß von der deutschen PSI Transcom erstmals auf der jährlichen europäischen Sicherheitsforschungskonferenz unter schwedischer Ratspräsidentschaft in Stockholm gezeigt.

Um den schlechten Ruf von INDECT aufzupolieren, hat dessen Ethikrat nun die Notbremse gezogen. Zukünftig wollen die Macher intensiver mit dem Projekt Detection Technologies, Counter-Terrorism Ethics, and Human Rights (10) (DETECTER) zusammenarbeiten, das wie INDECT im 7. Forschungsrahmenprogramm (11) angesiedelt und von der Europäischen Union finanziert wird. DETECTER versucht, die zahlreichen heiklen EU-Überwachungsprojekte in Einklang mit europäischen Rechtsnormen zu bringen. Zudem wollen die Ethik-Aufseher von INDECT öfter als bislang einmal im Jahr physisch oder wenigstens per Videokonferenz zusammentreffen.

Um kritische Datenschützer und Journalisten zum Schweigen zu bringen, werden fortan keine Dokumente mehr online gestellt, wenn sie “negative Konsequenzen” für Strafverfolgungsbehörden nach sich ziehen, den Ruf des Projekts beeinträchtigen oder die “nationale und öffentliche Sicherheit” gefährden. Immerhin erkennt der Ethikrat damit implizit an, dass Informationen über INDECT einen handfesten politischen Skandal erzeugen könnten.

INDECT betont, dass es ein harmloses Forschungsprojekt ist und keine Personendaten prozessiert. Insofern wird die Kritik zurückgewiesen, dass etwa Datenschutzprinzipien verletzt würden. Man fühlt sich entmutigt, da stets vorgetragen werden müsse, “worum sich das Projekt NICHT dreht”. Tatsächlich arbeitet die Plattform bislang mit fiktiven Daten. Die INDECT-Macher ziehen sich daher auf ihren Forschungsauftrag zurück und weigern sich anzuerkennen, dass hier ein uferloses Kontrollinstrument für europäische Verfolgungsbehörden entwickelt wird. Dass vom selbsternannten Ethikrat in Bezug auf Datenschutz oder gar Forschungsethik wenig zu erwarten ist, zeigt das Zitieren der Formel: “Wer nichts getan hat, muss auch nichts befürchten.”

Dass INDECT der anlassunabhängigen, vorausschauenden Überwachung der Bevölkerung dient, wird nicht bestritten, im Gegenteil: INDECT möchte den EU-Mitgliedsstaaten die erforderliche Technologie liefern, um für Entscheidungen im Bereich öffentlicher Sicherheit die “größtmögliche Menge relevanter Information” zu bevorraten. Die Chancen auf einen Preis beim Big Brother Award dürften gut stehen.

Links

(1) http://www.indect-project.eu

(2) http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/31/31855/1.html

(3) http://www.indect-project.eu/faq

(4) http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/31/31802/1.html

(5) http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Future-Security-08-Sicherheit-Gesundheit-und-ein-bisschen-Information-205241.html

(6) http://www.indect-project.eu/files/deliverables/public/INDECT_Deliverable_D0.5_v20100817.pdf/at_download/file

(7) http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Source_Intelligence

(8) http://www.asta.uni-wuppertal.de/fileadmin/Uploads/stuff/bigbrotheraward-indect.pdf

(9) http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/File:INDECT-400px.ogv

(10) http://www.detecter.bham.ac.uk

(11) http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html

Welcome to INDECT homepage

http://www.indect-project.eu/

INDECT aims at developing tools for enhancing security of citizens and protecting confidentiality of recorded and stored information. INDECT targets crimes both in virtual (e.g. Internet child pornography, promotion of totalitarian symbols, trafficking in human organs,spread of botnets, viruses, malware) and real environments (e.g. terrorism, hooliganism, thievery). Furthermore, INDECT targets also threat detection (e.g. fire, artificial crowd, abandoned luggage, and people on rails).

The main objectives of the INDECT project are:

to develop a platform for: registration and exchange of data, acquisition of multimedia content, intelligent processing of information and automatic detection of threats and recognition of criminal behaviour or violence,
to develop a prototype of an integrated, network-centric system supporting activities of police officers, providing techniques and tools for observation of various mobile objects,
to develop a new type of search engine combining direct search of images and video based on watermarked contents and storage of metadata in the form of digital watermarks,
to develop techniques for data and privacy protection in storage and transmission of data based on quantum cryptography and new methods of digital watermarking.

INDECT is a research project. INDECT is funded under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7, for more information click here); grant agreement 218086, as a “Collaborative Project”. INDECT research area is defined by the FP7 call “Increasing the Security of citizens” (SEC-1). The INDECT Project ensures strict fulfilment of the EU ethical regulations on privacy, data protection, prevention of dual use etc. Following these regulations, a lot of attention is paid to ethical issues, and among others, the INDECT project will never involve processing of any personal data without the prior written consent of individuals.

The INDECT methodology imposes:

1. First, detecting specific crimes (like: Internet child pornography, promotion of totalitarian symbols, trafficking in human organs, spread of botnets, viruses, malware as well as terrorism, hooliganism and thievery), and, only then,

2. Second, detecting specific criminals standing behind the detected crimes.

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The main expected results of the INDECT project are:

trial installation of the monitoring system in various points of city agglomeration and demonstration of the prototype of the system with 15 node stations (for detecting hooliganism, thievery, fire, artificial crowd, abandoned luggage, people on rails, etc.),construction of a family of prototypes of devices used for mobile object tracking (for tracking criminals),
computer-aided monitoring of public Internet resources for targeted crimes (promotion of totalitarian symbols, trafficking in human organs, botnets, viruses, malware),
construction of a search engine for fast detection of criminals and documents based on watermarking technology and utilising comprehensive research on watermarking technology used for semantic search towards targeting child pornography,
implementation of a distributed computer system that is capable of acquisition, storage and effective sharing on demand of the data as well as intelligent processing,
elaboration of Internet based intelligence gathering system, both active and passive, and demonstrating its efficiency in a measurable way; such system would allow for analysis of information relevant to criminal activities,
preparation of tools and technology for privacy and data protection during storage and transmission of information using quantum cryptography and new methods of digital watermarking.

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Ethical Issues

INDECT approach to ethical issues

The key objective of Indect is to contribute, through innovation and technology, to the security of all in the European Union. This will be done by integrating various lawful and pre-existing sources of information, which are already available to public protection agencies throughout the Union.

All of the activities within Indect are carried out so as to ensure the appropriate balance between the protection of the rights of the individual and the protection of society. Indect has an Ethics Board, which was established to ensure strict compliance with rules concerning privacy, data protection, to ensure genuine informed consent of all those participating in the project, and to ensure that information is only used for its intended purpose. It is also responsible for managing and monitoring all ethical aspects of the project. These aspects include the promotion of gender equality.

The Ethics Board has a broad membership, designed to exert strict control over the project. It includes representatives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland, which is generally recognised as adhering to the highest standards of human rights protection in all aspects of its work. The Board does not view its role as ensuring compliance as a minimalist task, solely designed to ensure legal compliance. Rather, it sees its function as broader, including overseeing scientific and societal issues related to the research activities conducted within the project

Indect does not involve the creation of any new surveillance technologies. The algorithms and methodologies underlying the project rely primarily on previously available information sources. These include surveillance cameras, web pages, etc. Indect will not use highly sensitive material, such as telephone intercept, VOIP, etc.

The value that will be added by INDECT is that existing systems would operate with less human intervention, which will lower the level of subjective assessment and the number of human mistakes. The main objective of INDECT is to make the monitoring and search process (and procedures) more automatic. This will allow for more informed decision-making.

This means less staff will be required for supervision of surveillance activities (e.g. monitoring of CCTV camera networks). This will resulting in less opportunities for illegitimate use of such information, or for human error to result in violations of the rights of the individual.

There will also be economic benefits, in terms of the reduced staffing requirements. Police officers could be freed up to carry out frontline policing tasks.

The mechanisms that are under development are intended to be used solely in cases where this is justified. Existing legal requirements will apply where the police or other agencies seek to use Indect in any investigation. Indect will not, and could not, involve any reduction of existing international and national legal protections. Integrated safeguards, such as watermarking, blurring, etc., allow sophisticated controls to be placed on images (e.g. car registration plates) within recorded images.

Indect will enhance the ability of the police to protect the public. For example, if police received information that a paedophile was targeting children in a particular area, Indect will allow the police to focus on persons in that area who display behaviour typically displayed by such criminals. This would allow the police to target resources where they are needed. It would not involve mass surveillance, but rather targeted surveillance on the real threats.

It is important to note that a person highlighted by Indect would merely be brought to the attention of the relevant authorities, so that normal lawful measures can be taken. The fact of highlighting by itself would involve no legal consequences for the person, and no permanent record would be kept, unless there was a specific legal reason to do so.

INDECT is designed to protect the public and its use in any given situation will have to comply with national and international rules regarding privacy. In terms of its design and implementation, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights applies. When the Lisbon treaty enters into force, the EU itself will become a party to the European Convention on Human Rights. These safeguards are additional to those already enjoyed throughout Europe.

National Standards regarding privacy (e.g. the Data Protection Act 1998, the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 in the United Kingdom) will also apply in every EU country.

It is often said that if you have done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear. However, this is only true if every aspect of the criminal justice system works perfectly, on every occasion. Indect will provide EU Member States with the technology to ensure that decisions around public safety are based on the maximum amount of relevant information available.

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

1. About INDECT

Q1.1: What is INDECT?

Q1.2: What is the aim of this project?

Q1.3: What behaviour is an “abnormal” behaviour?

Q1.4: Where the INDECT Project proposal was submitted? In which programme the project proposal was submitted?

Q1.5: Is it possible that you could spend money on developing a INDECT component that can be then cancelled due to the Ethics Board’s disapproval?

2. Ethical Issues

Q2.1: Does INDECT address ethical issues?

Q2.2: Are there any rules related to ethical issues?

Q2.3: What is the role of the Ethics Board?

Q2.4: How does the Ethics Board reach decisions on what research to proceed with?

Q2.5: Who are the members of the Project INDECT ethics board, and who selected them?

Q2.6: Is the data collection required for INDECT not in violation of the privacy clauses contained within the European Convention on Human Rights?

Q2.7: You cannot protect privacy if you have access to the data. What does privacy mean to you?

Q2.8: Does INDECT perform any kind of censoring the Internet in order to fight child pornography?

3. INDECT Application

Q3.1: How would you detect someone misusing access to INDECT data?

Q3.2: Is it planned to get this observation-tool for general or will it only be used in special cases, for example to avoid terrorism or child abuse?

Q3.3: Would it be possible for private businesses to make website activity or CCTV feeds available to INDECT?

Q3.4: Would you support private companies watermarking, or otherwise flagging, content to ease monitoring its reuse on the Internet?

Q3.5: Which non-public databases from police and security services would be added to INDECT to complement more public information?

Q3.6: Would you expect implementation of INDECT to improve collection of evidence leading to prosecutions?

Q3.7: Would data normally requiring a warrant or court order be held in INDECT? Would such be u

le in a prosecution without an equivalent legal process to deem such evidence admissible?

Q3.8: Would actively seeking to keep browsing habits private, using tools such as The Onion Router (TOR) developed by the US Navy, be reason to flag someone for further investigation?

Q1.1: What is INDECT?

A: The INDECT project (Intelligent information system supporting observation, searching and detection for security of citizens in urban environment) is a research project, allowing involved European scientists to develop new, advanced and innovative algorithms and methods aiming at combating terrorism and other criminal activities, affecting citizens’ safety. INDECT has been initiated by the Polish Platform for Homeland Security (http://www.ppbw.pl/en/index.html). The Project proposal was submitted by the international, pan-European consortium of 17 partners, led by the AGH University of Science and Technology (Krakow, Poland), under the supervision of Professor Andrzej Dziech, the INDECT Project Coordinator. The consortium consists of 11 well-known universities, 4 companies and 2 end-users (Police Service of Northern Ireland and Polish General Headquarters of Police).

Q1.2: What is the aim of this project?

A: The aim of INDECT is to develop a platform for: the registration and exchange of operational data, acquisition of multimedia content, intelligent processing of all information and automatic detection of terroristic threats and recognition of serious criminal (“abnormal”) behaviour or violence. New techniques for intelligent analysis of data will allow recognizing such situations, and giving alert before it is too late. The objective is also to recognise danger events that could lead to terrorist attacks (e.g. left luggage at an airport, automatic recognition of dangerous tools). The definitions of situations and their parameters will be provided by police departments.

Q1.3: What behaviour is an “abnormal” behaviour?

A: As regards the definition of “abnormal behaviour”, the term is not introduced by the INDECT Project, and it was created by EC and explained in the FP7 Work Programme. This term will be always controversial. In our case we clearly understand abnormal behaviour as “criminal behaviour”, and especially as “behaviour related to terrorist acts, serious criminal activities (e.g.: murders, bank robberies, someone leaving the luggage in the airport with the bomb) or criminal activities in the Internet (e.g.: child pornography)”. We will produce the tools to avoid such situations.

Q1.4: Where the INDECT Project proposal was submitted? In which programme the project proposal was submitted?

A: Security of citizens is one of the most important priorities of EU. This fact has been emphasized in the Fourth European Security Research Conference in Stockholm, 29th-30th September, 2009. For EU FP7 Research Programme in 2007 has been created call Security. The Project INDECT, as many others proposals, was submitted for the call Security, in particular for the theme “Security of Citizens in Urban Environment” (FP7-SEC-2007-1). Following a call for proposals the project INDECT submitted to the Commission was evaluated by independent EU experts with respect to its scientific merit, end-user requirements, etc. The Ethics Review panel also made a check of the ethical issues raised by the project. The all steps of the evaluation procedure including expert opinions, hearing procedure, negotiation process have been passed successfully. Then the project was selected for financial support.

Q1.5: Is it possible that you could spend money on developing a INDECT component that can be then cancelled due to the Ethics Board’s disapproval?

A: One of the main criteria for accepting financial support from EC for research done within INDECT and similar projects are prospects for practical implementation of research outcomes. It considers technical feasibility, conformance to ethical regulatory requirements.

The major advantage of the Ethics Board is that it is capable of affecting the work at any point of the development. It can improve the project in progress as well as in the planning stage. Acordingly, the money is not ‘wasted’ but can be spent effectively instead.

Q2.1: Does INDECT address ethical issues?

A: The INDECT project will have to address a number of ethical issues because of its nature, where sensitive information is processed in many different ways, from security video feeds to intelligent multimedia content analysis in P2P networks and Web server information storage and processing. We have already presented general assumptions about ethics related issues in our original project proposal. In this document we provide additional information to addresses the issues identified by our reviewers. The project identifies the following ethical issues: adults, informed consent, privacy, data protection and dual use.

Q2.2: Are there any rules related to ethical issues?

A: Yes. There are two separate entities, the Ethical Issues Manager and the Ethics Board that take care for the rules related to ethical issues addressed by INDECT.

The Ethical Issues Manager (EIM) will ensure strict fulfilment of the ethical rules set to deal with privacy, data protection, prevent dual use and guarantee informed consent of users in the project. She will be responsible for managing and monitoring ethical aspects through the duration of the project, including the promotion of gender equality in the project. Another task will be overseeing science and society issues, related to the research activities conducted within the project.

The INDECT Project Coordinator (PC) will designate an Ethics Board (EB) which will be proposed for acceptance of PB. Ethics Board will supervise the ethical aspects of the activities carried out by the different WPs, will analyse and will propose solutions to the PB to cope with all the Ethical Issues faced by the project. The Ethics Board will ensure strict fulfilment of the ethical rules set to deal with privacy, data protection, prevent dual use and guarantee informed consent of users in the project. Ethics Board will be responsible for managing and monitoring ethical aspects through the duration of the project, including the promotion of gender equality in the project. Another task will be overseeing science and society issues, related to the research activities conducted within the project.

Q2.3: What is the role of the Ethics Board?

A: The Ethics Board will be established that will report to the project board and inform the Commission of ethical issues annually. This Board will support the project consortium in examining the societal, political and legal aspects of potential applications, especially dual use applications, will define and approve the future exploitation plans of the project results, and will control dissemination and communication strategy of research results to a wider audience. A trial system could be implemented only in case when it would be fully validated.

The responsibilities of the Ethics Board include:

* Tracing the current legal acts being published during the project realization,

* Tailoring the solutions being developed to the new legal acts,

* Establishing the ethical control procedures, which must be followed before performing tests with human subjects,

* Consulting the developed solutions with the national entities responsible for ethical issues, especially in area of both people and Internet monitoring,

* Organization (at least once per year) of meetings devoted to all uncertain questions related to ethical issues with participation of competent entities dealing with this problem, and permanent monitoring of proposed solutions in the INDECT project with regard to the ethical issues.

Q2.4: How does the Ethics Board reach decisions on what research to proceed with?

A: Ethics Board analyses and proposes solutions to cope with all the Ethical Issues faced by the project. Problems and relevant solutions are discussed during ‘physical’ Ethics Board meetings, via e-mails, teleconferences based on exchange of opinions with researchers from different Work Packages.

Q2.5: Who are the members of the Project INDECT ethics board, and who selected them?

The list of the members with is available here.

* A human rights lawyer

* A professor specialized in Ethics

* Two police officers and one retired police officer

* A technical specialist

* Three researchers in the domain of security related technologies

Ethics Board members were appointed from INDECT partnership accordingly to their expertise and approved by Project Coordinator. Activities and Decisions performed by Ethics Board members require specific expertise and experience in the field of Security and Ethical Issues. A students representative or representatives – volunteers – can have status of “observer” of Ethics Board activities. Their suggestions and comments are considered by Ethics Board members

Q2.6: Is the data collection required for INDECT not in violation of the privacy clauses contained within the European Convention on Human Rights?

A: Ethics Board supervises the work In the Project to be conformant to the following regulations:

European Convention On Human Rights

Article 2 ECHR – right to life

Article 3 – right to freedom from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment

Article 5 – right to liberty and security

Article 6 – right to a fair trial

Article 8 – right to respect for home, private and family life and correspondence

Articles 9 (freedom of thought conscience and religion), 10 (freedom of expression) and 11 (freedom of assembly and association)

European Union Charter Of Fundamental Freedoms: Article 8

UN Convention On The Rights Of The Child: Article 3 – the best interests of child

Q2.7: You cannot protect privacy if you have access to the data. What does privacy mean to you?

A: First of all, there can be no doubt that surveillance systems have become overwhelming these days. Therefore, the need of security of the operational data from the systems is a vital issue. Presently, such a system is typically managed by operators with full access to the data and no additional mechanisms protecting the data. Owing to that fact, there is an obvious risk of any kind of abuse, not to mention leaking the material to the Internet. There are dozens of web sites with such materials – crimes, accidents, even death cases recorded by CCTV cameras. A simple ten-minute research on the Internet can certainly prove this point.

However, with INDECT solutions, the analysis of data is performed automatically and the access to the sensitive content is strictly registered (the date, time and the person who accessed), furthermore, even if there was a leakage, due to the watermarking techniques, it can be easily determined who is responsible for the abuse or negligence.

Even though the detection and evaluation processes are done automatically, the final decision is always made by a human. This, then, requires the identity of the detected person to be automatically concealed (e.g. foto blurring). This can be done using watermarking techniques as well (see Deliverable D1.2)

Q2.8: Does the project perform any kind of censoring the Internet in order to fight child pornography?

A: INDECT has been never about censoring or even blacklisting the Internet.

First of all, censoring the Internet requires accessing various ISP infrastructure devices, which is completely out of the scope of the project. Furthermore, none of the researchers (obviously Internet users as well) would be interested in producing any kind of “China Firewall” in EU.

As for the INDECT crawlers and search engines, please refer to the (public) INDECT Deliverable D5.1 (“Preliminary report on police and prosecutor repositories and access procedures”), Especially the two sections: Section 4 (“Internet Crawling”) and Section 5 (“Local Data Repositories”). Moreover, a co-operation with dyzurnet.pl (INHOPE partner) is about to be built up.

Q3.1: How would you detect someone misusing access to INDECT data?

A: One of the INDECT Project objectives is to develop a new type of search engine combining direct search of images and video based on watermarked contents, and the storage of metadata in the form of digital watermarks. New methods and algorithms for designed search engine, will save precious time for the police officers, to detect the targets (e.g. serious criminals, hackers). Watermarking of contents will increase data protection and privacy in the Internet. Special cryptographic methods will keep all the sensitive data protected against unauthorized access.

Please note that INDECT is a research project, not an implementation project. The outcome of the project will be demonstration prototypes/test-beds, rather that production phase products. Consequently issues related to daily use of INDECT systems are far out of scope of the project framework, possibly to be included in its follow-ups, aimed at exploitation of INDECT results.

Finally, the INDECT systems will not collect directly any classified data. Nevertheless, protection will be ensured for all the possessed data in case of some of them to get classified in a future, after the results of data processing.

Moreover, even if we assume that some INDECT solutions will be implemented and use in ‘real world’, we should remember that INDECT prototypes are designed to trace their users’ behaviour. Therefore any access to sensitive content will be monitored and logged, allowing authorised entities to control who have access to data and reduce the risk of leakage or abuse.

Q3.2: Is it planned to get this observation-tool for general or will it only be used in special cases, for example to avoid terrorism or child abuse?

A: The INDECT Project is exceptionally oriented to avoid terrorism and serious criminal actions, also in Internet (e.g. child pornography) to increase security of citizens! We will also produce the tools for protection of personal data (using watermarking technology). It was never planned to get observation tools for general purposes..

Q3.3: Would it be possible for private businesses to make website activity or CCTV feeds available to INDECT?

A: It is possible for private businesses; however, on voluntary, rather than not obligatory basis. The exception is a situation when local, legal regulations impose private business (e.g. telecom operator) to disclose some data. It should be noted that data disclosure has to be limited by human rights, and voluntary acts have to be guaranteed on informed consent forms signed by persons whose data is being disclosed.

Q3.4: Would you support private companies watermarking, or otherwise flagging, content to ease monitoring its reuse on the Internet?

A: The main end-user of INDECT solutions are police forces. Consequently, there is no direct way of private, dual-use of digital watermarking solutions. Nevertheless, this is technologically possible, and if ever happens – only outside the INDECT Project framework.

Q3.5: Which non-public databases from police and security services would be added to INDECT to complement more public information?

A: The research activities in INDECT will be based only on public information or on non-public virtual or training data.

Q3.6: Would you expect implementation of INDECT to improve collection of evidence leading to prosecutions?

A: The main target of INDECT solutions is crime prevention instead of crime prosecution. However, in case of situation where crime already happened, the project will develop necessary tools which will help Police Services to detect terrorism, serious crime and offenders quickly and efficiently. Current, manual methods will be replaced by innovative, semi-automatic technologies – still being in line with all national and EU legal regulations. In addition, the high security for information flow needed by police and prosecutor offices will be offered. This objective will be reached by designing and prototyping the method of software assistance support for secure searching of required persons and documents, including any security activities of police and prosecutors.

Q3.7: Would data normally requiring a warrant or court order be held in INDECT? Would such be usable in a prosecution without an equivalent legal process to deem such evidence admissible?

A: INDECT does not hold and does not intend to hold such data. INDECT is a research project elaborating tools for data processing and analysis. For research purposes a fictional data is sufficient.

Q3.8: Would actively seeking to keep browsing habits private, using tools such as The Onion Router (TOR) developed by the US Navy, be reason to flag someone for further investigation?

A: Handling of collected personal data while protecting privacy and confidentiality is of major importance for the project; a specific task monitors on this aspect throughout the project. Actively seeking to keep browsing habits private per se, cannot be reason to flag someone for further investigation. Anyway, profiling suspected figureheads, even with anonymous identities, protected by using special software (like TOR), is expected. It should be mentioned here that one of the INDECT Project objectives is to develop a set of techniques supporting analysis of of the acquired information, and detection of serious criminal activities and threats (child abuse, child pornography).

It should be stressed that INDECT is a research project. Its objective is NOT global monitoring or invigilation as suggested or interpreted by some media or ‘Internet activists’. Most of partners come from academic domain. Their objective is to make innovation and progress in such research areas as digital watermarking, artificial intelligence, image recognition and signal processing.

Police partners define and assess the usability of tools and algorithms developed by researchers for fighting crime and terrorism threats.

dradio.de

http://www.dradio.de/dkultur/sendungen/thema/1367715/

RADIOFEUILLETON:

THEMA

18.01.2011

Mit INDECT soll die Sicherheit in städtischen Ballungsräumen erhöht werden. (Bild: Stock.XCHNG / drouu)

Noch nicht auf “Radar der Öffentlichkeit”

FDP-Europaparlamentarier kritisiert EU-Überwachungsprojekt INDECT

Der FDP-Europaparlamentarier Alexander Alvaro hat das EU-Forschungsprojekt INDECT, bei dem ein “Intelligentes Informationssystem zur Überwachung” entwickelt werden soll, scharf kritisiert.

Der FDP-Politiker erklärte, dass INDECT von dem “Radar der Öffentlichkeit” bisher nicht erfasst werde. Auch die Kritiker im Europaparlament, zu denen Alvaro zählt, seien erst durch Bürgeranfragen darauf aufmerksam gemacht worden. Europa werde benutzt, “um unter dem Deckmantel europäischer Forschung oder von Arbeitsprojekten dann Maßnahmen einzuführen, die in einem Mitgliedsstaat so nicht durchsetzbar gewesen wären.”

Kritik übte Alvaro auch an der Ethikkommission, die das Projekt begleiten soll. Prinzipiell seien Ethikkommissionen bei allen Projekten mit Relevanz für die Grundrechte notwendig: “Das Problem, dass wir nur derzeit sehen, ist, dass in dem Moment, als sich die kritischen Fragen zu dem Projekt gehäuft haben, die Ethikkommission leider dicht gemacht hat.” Auch EU-Abgeordnete hätten keine Auskunft von der Kommission mehr bekommen.

[http://ondemand-mp3.dradio.de/file/dradio/2011/01/18/drk_20110118_1513_8f9ad731.mp3] in unserem Audio-on-Demand-Player nachhören.

Links zum Thema:

[http://www.indect-project.eu/]

UK News

EU funding ‘Orwellian’ artificial intelligence plan to monitor public for “abnormal behaviour”

The European Union is spending millions of pounds developing “Orwellian” technologies designed to scour the internet and CCTV images for “abnormal behaviour”.

By Ian Johnston 9:08PM BST 19 Sep 2009

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6210255/EU-funding-Orwellian-artificial-intelligence-plan-to-monitor-public-for-abnormal-behaviour.html

A five-year research programme, called Project Indect, aims to develop computer programmes which act as “agents” to monitor and process information from web sites, discussion forums, file servers, peer-to-peer networks and even individual computers.

Its main objectives include the “automatic detection of threats and abnormal behaviour or violence”.

Project Indect, which received nearly £10 million in funding from the European Union, involves the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and computer scientists at York University, in addition to colleagues in nine other European countries.

Shami Chakrabarti, the director of human rights group Liberty, described the introduction of such mass surveillance techniques as a “sinister step” for any country, adding that it was “positively chilling” on a European scale.

The Indect research, which began this year, comes as the EU is pressing ahead with an expansion of its role in fighting crime, terrorism and managing migration, increasing its budget in these areas by 13.5% to nearly £900 million.

Überwachung Indect – der Traum der EU vom Polizeistaat

Ein Forschungsprojekt soll Wege finden, Informationen aus dem Netz, aus Datenbanken und von Überwachungskameras zu verbinden – zu einem automatischen Bevölkerungsscanner.

von: Kai Biermann

Die Zeit 24.9.2009

Die Europäische Union finanziert seit Jahresbeginn ein Forschungsprojekt, das all die bestehenden Überwachungstechnologien zu einem Instrument verbinden soll. “Indect” soll es möglich machen, dass alles gesehen und alles verfolgt werden kann. Insgsamt 14,86 Millionen Euro lässt sich die EU das auf fünf Jahre angelegte Projekt kosten.

Auf deutscher Seite arbeiten daran mit die Bergische Universität Wuppertal, die Innotec Data Gmbh & Co KG und eine Firma namens Psi Transcom GmbH.

Indect ist ein Akronym von “Intelligent information system supporting observation, searching and detection for security of citizens in urban environment”. Daher ein Informationssystem zur Unterstützung der Suche, der Entdeckung und der Überwachung von Bürgern in städtischen Umgebungen. Ziel: Erhöhung der Sicherheit. Man könnte es auch ein integriertes Spionageprogramm nennen.

Unter anderem soll es dazu dienen, das Internet zu durchforsten. Das Projekt will erforschen, wie sich im Netz mit automatisierten Suchroutinen “Gewalt”, “Bedrohungen” und “abnormales Verhalten” finden lassen.

Gleichzeitig soll es für die Polizei zum Werkzeug werden, um “verschiedenste bewegliche Objekte” zu observieren. “Indect” soll also Daten auswerten können, um die Bewegungen von Menschen, Fahrzeugen oder Schiffen nachzuvollziehen.

Und es soll eine Suchmaschine entwickelt werden, die anhand von Wasserzeichen Bilder und Videos wiederfinden und schnell verwalten kann.

Es geht nicht in erster Linie darum, Informationen aus dem Netz zu filtern. Vor allem sollen diese mit anderen Datenbanken verknüpft werden. Beispielsweise mit Bildern von Videoüberwachungs-kameras oder mit Daten von Mobiltelefonen. Das Ziel, so scheint es: In irgendeiner Weise auffällig gewordene Menschen in der Realität schnell entdecken und langfristig verfolgen zu können. Wer beispielsweise bei YouTube ein Drohvideo gepostet hat, der soll mithilfe von Überwachungskameras gesucht, via Suchmaschine identifiziert und mittels tragbarer Geräte von Polizisten verfolgt werden können.

Zumindest steht zu den Zielen auf der Projekt-Website, man wolle Prototypen einer “Familie” von mobilen Geräten entwickeln, mit deren Hilfe “Objekte verfolgt werden können”. Außerdem wolle man eine Suchmaschine zur schnellen Ermittlung von Personen und Dokumenten und Suchprogramme, die “ständig” und “automatisch” öffentliche Quellen wie Websites, Foren, Usent-Gruppen, Fileserver, P2P-Netzwerke und “individuelle Computersysteme” durchsuchen.

Wird das Projekt umgesetzt, wäre es der Albtraum jeder Bürgerrechtsbewegung. Verbindet es doch alle einzelnen Überwachungsinstrumente, die bereits jetzt installiert sind wie Videokameras, Vorratsdatenspeicherung, Handyortung, Gesichtserkennung oder Telefonüberwachung zu einem einzigen Spähprogramm.

Die britische Zeitung Telegraph, die gerade darüber berichtet hatte, nennt es daher nicht umsonst einen “Orwellschen Plan”, in der Öffentlichkeit nach “auffälligem Verhalten” zu suchen.

Aldeilis (DE)

Wahrheit • Gerechtigkeit • Frieden

INDECT, das europäische Totalüberwachungs-Programm

Überwachung Indect – der Traum der EU vom Polizeistaat