The Detecter Project

Detecter - Objectives

To identify human rights and other legal and moral standards that detection technologies in counter-terrorism must meet, while taking into account the effectiveness of these technologies as judged by law-enforcement bodies responsible for counter-terrorism, and other relevant authorities

Detecter – what the project will do 1

After 9/11 and the terrorist bombings in Madrid (11 March 2004) and London (07 July 2005), policing and intelligence activity have increasingly focused on methods of preventing future attacks, and not just on identifying the perpetrators of offences already committed.

Preventive police work includes the use of detection technologies. These range from CCTV camera-surveillance of suspicious behaviour in public places to secret Internet monitoring and data-mining.

Detecter – what the project will do 2

Such technologies raise ethical and legal issues (notably issues of privacy) that must be confronted against the background of the legal and ethical issues raised by counter-terrorism in general.

This project will review a wide range of detection technologies, and identify the relative moral risks of preventive counter-terrorism measures.

Detecter – what the project will do 3

• Detecter will survey developments in international law in support of counter terrorism, particularly in human rights.

• It will look in detail at data mining,

electronic surveillance of Internet traffic and the use of pre-entry screening measures for migrants, including asylum-seekers.

Detecter – what the project will do 4

• 6 2-day meetings are planned with policy makers, manufacturers and law-enforcement officials to present assessments of both desirable and undesirable features of detection technology products, as well as general standards for products to meet.

Detecter - results

• The project will produce a substantial review of the human rights consequences of countering terrorism, including with detection technology.

• The project will meet with technology developers, commissioners and users and provide reports and papers setting out the moral, ethical and legal framework for these products.

Detecter - results

• A survey of data mining technologies and electronic surveillance of the Internet and other counter terrorism techniques will be undertaken and assessed and safeguards proposed.

• A major conference will be held in the UK to disseminate the project’s results to all those working in this field.

Detecter