Will those who purchase alcohol be profiled?

In recent days, a new requirement has been imposed on businesses in Istanbul that sell alcohol and tobacco. According to the new regulation, these businesses are required to install security cameras by January 1st.

Under the new regulation, cameras must be positioned to record the sales area, entry/exit points, and parking lots, and must be compatible with facial recognition technology.

The system will provide 24/7 continuous recording and ensure that footage is stored for at least 30 days. Businesses that fail to install the cameras will face penalties.

The application is planned to be implemented with the aim of protecting children from harmful habits such as alcohol and tobacco. So far, everything seems normal. Of course, protecting children is the top priority, but the application has raised some questions that have worried both businesses and, so to speak, evening drinkers.

It will be mandatory for the installed system to be compatible with and configured for facial recognition technology. Citizens are questioning why a facial recognition system is mandatory for alcohol purchases. They are wondering why such a requirement has been imposed on places that sell alcohol instead of airports, important government offices, or potential targets for terrorist attacks, as seen in Ankara.

Another claim is that the move is intended to control the time restrictions imposed on alcohol sales. As is known, the sale of alcohol is prohibited after 10:00 PM.

However, licensed businesses can remain open until later hours, though they cannot sell alcohol. Yet, inspections here are sometimes insufficient, and it is known that sales are made under the table. It is being discussed that this camera system is intended to prevent these sales or to use the footage as evidence to issue fines.

If the goal is truly to ensure that children and young people stay away from harmful habits, these measures are not enough. It is being discussed that the age of drug use in Turkey has dropped to 13. Although official sources do not confirm this information, even the fact that it is being discussed is chilling.

However, the sense of trust has been lost to such an extent that, beyond the two claims I mentioned above, the main claim that needs to be followed is something else: The question of who will profit from this camera mandate? Is there a risk that this could be tendered to a specific company, as is the case with some tenders? Which companies are producing or importing these cameras?

Furthermore, there is also a legal dimension to the matter. For example, there is a Council of State (Danıştay) ruling regarding controls made with facial recognition systems for tracking working hours in workplaces. According to the decisions made by the Council of State, tracking working hours with a facial recognition system can be found to be in violation of the principle of privacy of private life.

Article 20 of the Constitution guarantees the right to request the protection of personal data. Therefore, in this context, tracking working hours with a facial recognition system cannot be implemented without the explicit consent of the employees.

So, how will these cameras, which cannot even be used in workplaces without the employee's consent, be provided to businesses selling monopoly products? How will biometric data be secured?

I wish the only question mark in people's minds was the question from evening drinkers: "Are they profiling us, brother?"