Germany Combines Live Facial Recognition with Behavior Analysis

Baden-Württemberg is deploying surveillance cameras that simultaneously perform live facial recognition (biometrische Fernidentifizierung) and automated behavior analysis (Verhaltensanalyse). It is the first German state to combine both technologies in a single camera system operating in public spaces.

Mannheim will be the first city to operate the dual-capability cameras.

What the new cameras with live facial recognition and behavior analysis do

Until now, German states that used AI-assisted surveillance cameras deployed either one of two capabilities:

• Behavior analysis — software that flags unusual patterns of movement, such as a person running or falling, without identifying who the person is.
• Facial recognition — software that checks faces against police watchlists to identify specific individuals.

Baden-Württemberg’s new system combines both in a single live feed. A camera can simultaneously assess what a person is doing and check who they are. No other German state has deployed this combination in a live, operational setting.

Mannheim has operated behavior-analysis cameras since 2018, making it a testing ground for AI surveillance technology. The new system builds on that infrastructure and adds facial recognition.

How this came about

The Green-CDU coalition in Baden-Württemberg agreed to expand AI surveillance in their coalition agreement (Koalitionsvertrag) following the March 2026 state election.

The coalition plans to remove restrictions that currently limit AI cameras to high-crime locations. Under the planned changes, the cameras could operate in a wider range of public areas.

The coalition also plans to allow police to use AI to search for specific faces across internet sources.

Context: Other German states

Baden-Württemberg is not acting in isolation. Hamburg already introduced real-time facial recognition at its main train station in 2025. Berlin is expected to follow.

However, Baden-Württemberg is the first state to combine live facial recognition with automated behavior analysis in a single integrated system.

NOTE: The expansion of camera capabilities requires changes to state law (Landespolizeigesetz). These legislative changes have not yet been passed as of May 2026. The deployment of the combined system in Mannheim represents the current pilot phase. The removal of location restrictions requires a separate legal amendment.

What this means for privacy and your rights

Germany has strong data protection laws under both the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, Datenschutz-Grundverordnung, DSGVO) and national law. Live biometric surveillance in public spaces is among the most contested areas of EU data protection law.

The EU’s AI Act (KI-Verordnung), which came into force in 2024, places real-time biometric identification in public spaces in the highest risk category. It restricts its use to specific law enforcement purposes.

Germany’s federal and state data protection commissioners (Datenschutzbeauftragter) have consistently raised concerns about the expansion of biometric surveillance. Critics argue that combining facial recognition with behavior analysis creates a system capable of comprehensive tracking of individuals without their knowledge or consent.

Suppose you are stopped or questioned based on a camera alert in a public space. In this case, you have the right that the police tells you the basis for the contact. The police must also handle your data in accordance with GDPR.