Brazil's 376 facial recognition projects can monitor 40% of population with minimal oversight
A joint report by Brazil's public defender's office and an academic research center found 376 active facial recognition projects that can monitor 40% of the population with minimal regulation or oversight. The systems show high error rates and disproportionately misidentify people of color, leading to wrongful police stops.
What happened
A report released by the Defensoria Pública da União and Centro de Estudos de Segurança e Cidadania on 7 May 2025 identified 376 active facial recognition projects in Brazil, collectively capable of monitoring approximately 83 million people—about 40% of the population. The expansion of facial recognition systems began after Brazil hosted the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.
The research, conducted from July to December 2024 across 23 of Brazil's 27 states, found that the systems have received at least 160 million reais in public investment. According to the report, Brazil lacks specific laws to regulate the use of digital surveillance systems, particularly facial recognition cameras, and lacks external control mechanisms, uniform technical-operational standards, and transparency in system implementation.
Reported impact
Investigations indicate that more than half of police approaches motivated by facial recognition resulted from misidentifications, creating a risk of wrongful arrests and reinforcing historical patterns of selective law enforcement. Research by the National Institute of Standards and Technology found error rates ten to one hundred times higher for Black, Indigenous, and Asian individuals compared to white individuals.
The lack of regulatory solutions and oversight mechanisms increases the chances of serious errors, privacy violations, discrimination, and misuse of public resources. The report notes that facial recognition systems continue to expand without adequate democratic safeguards.
Governance controls
The report states that Brasil still lacks laws to discipline the use of digital surveillance systems, particularly facial recognition cameras. It notes the absence of external control mechanisms, uniform technical-operational standards, and transparency in system implementation.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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