Reports

This report explores how surveillance practices have expanded in Latin America in recent years, marked by advances in digital technologies and a lack of adequate regulations. Through the analysis of cases in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico, there is evidence of a growing adoption of video surveillance systems, facial recognition, social media monitoring, and mass data collection by the state, often without transparency or democratic control.

This AlSur report updates and expands on the regional mapping of facial recognition and surveillance technologies implemented in Latin America since 2021. It analyzes 83 initiatives in 15 countries, focusing on the use of these technologies in public spaces, borders, and government services. The study identifies sustained growth in their adoption, especially in public security and immigration control, and reveals the difficulty of accessing official information on these projects. Global providers such as IDEMIA, NEC, Dahua, and Hikvision are highlighted, along with local actors.

In Latin America, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been promoted with a narrative of economic and social development. However, the omission of an articulated dialogue between state entities and civil society organizations draws a complex cartography of ethical, methodological and even epistemological concerns regarding the regulation of AI in the countries of the region.

The organizations Derechos Digitales, Red en Defensa de los Derechos Digitales (R3D), Instituto Panamericano de Derecho y Tecnologías (IPANDETEC) and Hiperderecho, belonging to the AlSur consortium, present their proposals regarding the draft text of the Ad Hoc Committee for the elaboration of a comprehensive international convention on combating the criminal misuse of information and communication technologies (A/AC.291/22). 

The organizations Derechos Digitales, Red en Defensa de los Derechos Digitales (R3D), Instituto Panamericano de Derecho y Tecnologías (IPANDETEC) and Hiperderecho, belonging to the AlSur consortium, present their proposals regarding the draft text of the Ad Hoc Committee for the elaboration of a comprehensive international convention on combating the criminal misuse of information and communication technologies. (A/AC.291/22). 

Summary to the document "Evaluating the new Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime in Latin America".

During 2022, national discussions will be held regarding the adoption of the Second Additional Protocol to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime.

This international instrument establishes procedures that seek to strengthen international cooperation for law enforcement access to citizens' data. This raises important challenges in relation to human rights and fundamental freedoms.

This document produced by R3D de México for Al Sur addresses the content moderation on the Internet and its complexities from the perspective of the Inter-American standards on freedom of expression. In this regard, it introduces the limitations of freedom of expression in relation to protected speech and those that, due to their incitement to violence, genocide and child abuse, are not protected. Secondly, it provides an extensive explanation of content moderation, its principles and effects.

Facial recognition is a biometric identification technology that, by analyzing certain characteristic features of the face, seeks to establish a person’s identity.

Although it is less accurate than other forms of biometric identification, such as fingerprint or iris reading, it does not require physical contact. This allows its deployment, for example, in public spaces for large-scale surveillance purposes and without those who are being subjected to its scrutiny necessarily being aware of it.

This essay was prepared by CELE and the Regional Office for South America of the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights for Al Sur. Unlike other contributions on the subject of disinformation that focus on analyzing information flows on the Internet or the responsibilities of intermediaries, this essay focuses on the responsibility of the sources, particularly public officials.