European Parliament Committee Backs Europol Biometric Data Expansion

The European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee has voted to approve regulations expanding Europol’s authority to process biometric data including facial recognition. The reform establishes the European Centre Against Migrant Smuggling within Europol with €50 million in additional funding and 50 new staff members. Civil society organisations have criticised the vote as a dangerous step towards mass surveillance in the EU. The regulation requires biometric data processing to be strictly necessary and proportionate to objectives pursued.

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Original source: European Digital Rights (EDRi)

Retrieved: 2025-11-12 | Language: EN | Reading time: 4 min read