—Amaliya Kartika Putri, LL.M in Law and Technology from Utrecht University, focusing on GDPR, AI regulation, and fundamental rights in emerging technologies The European Union has adopted modern surveillance technology, including drone monitoring and facial recognition technology (FRT) to enhance border security. These technologies raise fundamental rights issues, yet they also have the potential to identify travelers efficiently and detect unauthorized crossings. As to the former point, EU law and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) protect among others fundamental rights to non-discrimination and private life. The Glukhin v. Russia (2023) ECtHR judgment confirms that the implementation of random facial recognition infringes upon privacy protections. Moreover, Murray and other scholars warn that the extensive deployment of facial recognition technology may result in the creation of a “pervasive surveillance state” which would limit personal conduct and threaten democratic institutions. In this blog post I will investigate the impact of drone surveillance and facial recognition technology on privacy and equality rights at EU external borders. The analysis includes an examination of the current legal framework which includes the ECHR, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, the GDPR, and the AI Act. Although these instruments offer a crucial basis for safeguarding fundamental rights, this blog argues that more legal clarification and robust protections are required in order to address the intrusive and discriminatory risks presented by these emerging technologies. Surveillance Technologies at the EU Border The technology of facial recognition systems and unmanned aerial drones has transitioned from science fiction to reality at European borders. The EU, together with its Member States, has established pilot programs and systems to automate border control operations through these technological tools. The Horizon 2020 iBorderCtrl project implemented a system that used facial scans, together with “biomarkers of deceit” to analyze micro-expressions for detecting deception in travelers.