Greece is turning to satellites and artificial intelligence to crack down on the “illegal” use of sun loungers, umbrellas and chairs on 8,000 of its beaches as summer approaches.
Greece’s Digital Governance Ministry is launching a new program that will use satellite data to track violations of the country’s controversial beach use laws. Ekathimerini reported.
Under the current system, the government typically allows companies to rent up to 50% of public beaches and only 30% of areas protected by EU regulation.
But in reality, businesses have taken advantage of lax enforcement and often take up much more space than they rent.
In addition, they try to block non-paying customers and often force them to rent umbrellas and sun loungers.
Greece’s Digital Governance Ministry is launching a new program that will use satellite data to track violations of the country’s controversial beach use laws.
Companies have taken advantage of lax law enforcement and often take up much more space than they rent.
Luxury resorts along Greece’s many coastlines are considered the worst offenders, with critics accusing them of essentially creating private beaches using public land and charging hundreds of dollars a day.
Starting in June, the government will crack down on alleged violators thanks to the agreement with the Aegean University.
According to the agreement, an artificial intelligence will “learn” to detect violators during the summer.
He has not yet said what will happen to companies caught violating the rules.
Last summer, Greece was inundated with protests known as the “beach towel uprising,” in which locals, fed up with paying exorbitant sums of money to companies, took to the streets to voice their concerns.
Efthymia Sarantakou of the University of West Attica told the bbc last year: ‘There is a) a long-standing lack of oversight, which has led to greater impunity.’
The academic added that the government’s failure to intervene and allow Greek citizens, many of whom are still recovering from the eurozone crisis, to enjoy public beaches led to companies taking on a “mafioso” role. in society.
“There are allegations that beach bar employees intimidated civilians when they tried to sit on what remained a free part of the beach.”