Asymmetries and Power

AI and public security datification: field building for fundamental rights safeguards

Objective: Foster networks of cooperation within civil society in response to datafication and the adoption of artificial intelligence systems in public security contexts. Develop a technical analysis of systems such as Muralha Paulista and Córtex; promote training and capacity building activities; and create a public repository of documents and reports addressing the relationship between fundamental rights and surveillance infrastructures.

Duration: 18 months

Status: Em Andamento

Supporter(s): Lafer Institute

Description

In recent years, the expansion of large scale surveillance systems such as Muralha Paulista and Córtex has revealed a troubling trend, the transformation of public infrastructures into robust data platforms leveraged by private companies to develop predictive algorithms. This scenario exacerbates mass surveillance, undermines fundamental guarantees such as due process and the presumption of innocence, and deepens algorithmic inequalities and discrimination, particularly against marginalized populations, while disregarding standards established by the Federal Supreme Court on democratic data governance.

Given the technical and political complexity surrounding these systems, there is still a lack of civil society initiatives capable of conducting grounded critiques or mobilizing the justice system to address the legal violations tied to their deployment. Data Privacy Brasil aims to strengthen dialogue and build the capacity of organizations working at the intersection of human rights and public security. Our goal is to build a networked resistance strategy that combines technical knowledge with institutional advocacy, particularly targeting relevant actors such as public prosecutors, public defenders, and legal experts.

The project conducts technical analyses of programs like Muralha Paulista and Córtex, assessing their risks and operational frameworks, and develops solid legal arguments related to fundamental rights. As a result, we aim to create a public repository of intelligence documents and reports on surveillance infrastructures.

Data Privacy Brasil is committed to democratizing the debate on public security technologies and fostering a coordinated and critical civil society response to the growing process of datafication in public security.

Team

Rafael Zanatta Director

Pedro Saliba Coordinator

Rafael Zanatta | Director

Data Privacy Brazil Research Association

Co-director of Data Privacy Brasil. He is a postdoctoral researcher at the Law School of the University of São Paulo (USP). He holds a PhD from the Institute of Energy and Environment of USP, with training at the Institute of Information Law of the University of Amsterdam. He has a Master's degree in Law and Political Economy from the University of Turin. He has a Master's degree in Philosophy and General Theory of Law from the Law School of USP. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Law from the State University of Maringá. He was a member of the Vulnera group at the Free University of Brussels and was a visiting researcher on platforms and digital economy at The New School. He edited the books “Sharing economies and law” (Juruá, 2017) and “Data, digital markets and competition” (Casa do Direito, 2022). He is the author of “Collective protection of personal data in Brazil: vectors of interpretation” (Letramento, 2023).

Pedro Saliba | Coordinator

Data Privacy Brazil Research Association

Lawyer and sociologist. PhD candidate in State Theory and Constitutional Law (PUC-Rio). Master in Sociology and Anthropology (PPGSA/UFRJ). Research on the intersection between personal data protection and public power, especially in the area of security and surveillance. Researcher at Núcleo Legalité; previously, he was a researcher at the Digital Studies Laboratory (LED/UFRJ). Coordinator of Asymmetries and Power at Data Privacy Brasil since 2023, researcher at Data since 2020.

Vinicius Silva Researcher

Gabriela Vergili Researcher

Vinicius Silva | Researcher

[email protected]

Master in Social Change and Political Participation and a degree in Public Policy Management from the School of Arts, Sciences, and Humanities (EACH) at the University of São Paulo (USP). Interdisciplinary academic production, mainly on issues related to the military dictatorship, the permanent state of exception, and democracy. Member of the research groups: Studies in Body and Art (ECOAR) and the Center for Research and Production in Audiovisual (NUPEPA), both linked to USP. Currently, he is a researcher on Asymmetries and Power at Data Privacy Brasil and a focal point for the Working Group on Surveillance, Platformization and Data Protection of the Coalition for Rights on the Internet (CDR).

Gabriela Vergili | Researcher

[email protected]

Bachelor of Laws from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP). Researcher at Data Privacy Brasil, having been part of the team since 2019, she has worked mainly on investigations into the use of personal data by public authorities and public transparency. She is currently a member of the Asymmetries and Power team and is dedicated to projects that relate to data protection, public transparency and climate justice.

Johanna Monagreda Researcher

Johanna Monagreda | Consultant

[email protected]

Ph.D. and master’s degree in Political Science from the Federal University of Minas Gerais. She holds a Teaching Degree in Political and Administrative Science from the Central University of Venezuela. She is a researcher at the Center for Studies and Research on Women NEPEM/UFMG, and the author of the dissertation: “State has not given us any presents: Processes of institutionalizing demands from Afro-descendant movements in Brazil, Venezuela, and Ecuador.” Throughout her professional career, she has worked on important research in the field of human rights, racial equality policies, and policies for women in Latin America.