Greece turns to space in battle against sunbeds: Satellites and AI will be used to clampdown on umbrellas cropping up illegally on 8,000 of its beaches

Greece is turning to satellites and AI to crack down on the 'illegal' use of sunbeds, umbrellas and chairs on 8,000 of its beaches as summer approaches. 

Greece's Ministry of Digital Governance is launching a new programme that will use satellite data to track violations of the country's contentious beach-use laws, Ekathimerini reported.

Under the current system, the government normally allows businesses to lease up to 50% of public beaches, and just 30% of areas protected by EU regulation. 

But in reality businesses have capitalised on lax enforcement, and often take up far more room than they lease. 

On top of this, they try and bar non-paying customers and often push them to rent umbrellas and sunbeds. 

Greece's Ministry of Digital Governance is launching a new programme that will use satellite data to track violations of the country's contentious beach-use laws

Businesses have capitalised on lax enforcement, and often take up far more room than they lease

Luxury resorts along Greece's many coasts are considered the worst offenders, with critics accusing them of essentially creating private beaches using public land and charging hundreds of dollars a day. 

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From June, the government is cracking down on alleged violators thanks to the agreement with the University of the Aegean. 

The agreement will see an artificial intelligence 'learning' how to spot offenders during the summer.  

It has not yet said what will happen to businesses that are caught violating the rules. 

Last summer, Greece was awash with protests known as the 'beach towel revolt', which saw locals fed up with paying extortionate sums of money to businesses take to the streets to voice their concerns. 

Efthymia Sarantakou from the University of West Attica told the BBC last year: 'There is a] long-standing lack of oversight, which has led to increased impunity.'

The academic added that the failure of government to intervene and allow Greek citizens, many of whom are still reeling from the Eurozone crisis, to enjoy public beaches lead to businesses taking on a 'mafia-like' role in society.

'There are allegations of civilians being intimidated by beach bar employees when they tried to sit on what remained as a free part of the beach.'