Nice: Algorithmic video surveillance banned near schools by the CNIL, Christian Estrosi annoyed

A standoff in Nice. Since May 20, the CNIL (National Commission for Information Technology and Civil Liberties) has been demanding that Mayor Christian Estrosi disconnect the algorithmic surveillance cameras installed in front of schools.

Since 2020, all schools in the city of Nice have been equipped with this highly sophisticated camera system. There are 77 of them spread across the country. The system reassures some parents. "There's still a rise in crime , so it's more reassuring to know that our children are being monitored regularly," a woman from Nice told BFM Nice Côte d'Azur. For others, however, it's not really useful. "If we put a municipal police officer directly at the school gates, he could do the job himself rather than paying for a camera," adds another.

The system sends an alert for every vehicle parked in front of a school for more than five minutes. "We know that on all the websites disseminated by the Islamic State, Daesh, and many others, they demand that wherever there are children, attacks be carried out on the spot," says Christian Estrosi.

Kadhija El Ouahabi, a representative of the parents' union, welcomes the CNIL's decision. She believes the main stakeholders were never consulted. "We have plenty of ideas about security around schools. Since parents were banned from schools, there have been gatherings, and that's even more dangerous," she says.

Christian Estrosi says he intends to refer the matter to the Council of State and launch a petition to amend the law immediately. He hopes to reconnect the system before the start of the school year in September.