When it comes to the subject of mass surveillance, the People's Republic of China does not skimp in the means to develop the tools and it is that recently the news of what chinese researchers have developed a new 500 megapixel camera with artificial intelligence, which can identify a face from a crowd of tens of thousands of people.
The new technology, which can be integrated with face recognition and real-time monitoring, was presented at the China International Industrial Fair last week.
The new facial recognition camera, called "super camera" whose resolution would be four times more detailed than that of the human eye, it can connect to other devices, according to scientists.
Besides that the camera's artificial intelligence can scan the facial details of each individual and instantly detect specific targets in a crowd of thousands of people.
This development raises fears that facial recognition surveillance soon reaches a crucial level. Furthermore, according to Xiaoyang Zeng, one of the scientists who worked on the new technology, This camera can capture still images and record videos at the same time.
It is to be known that China has established a system national to point out citizens, called the social credit system. It consists, in fact, in assigning a score to each citizen, based on data available to the government on the Chinese.
The system is based on a massive monitoring tool and uses Big Data analysis technologies. It also helps to rate companies operating in the Chinese market.
Like private credit scores, a person's social score it can increase or decrease depending on your behavior. Depending on the score, the program can reward or punish the citizen. Sanctions may include, among other things, a ban on travel by plane or train.
Facial recognition is based on facial data, which the Chinese authorities even began to have since 2018 and even for people whose face would be covered or hidden. The software, which was being developed by the startup Watrix, will also be able to identify citizens based on the shape of the body and the gait of people.
For its proper functioning, the system takes full advantage of the potential of China's technological infrastructure, with some 200 million cameras cross-referenced to facial recognition systems and financial, medical and legal records. Advanced artificial intelligence networks are responsible for regulating and interpreting the data from this large-scale crossover.
The announcement of the new camera has raised fears that facial recognition technology will further violate civil liberties.
The new 500 megapixel camera will correct imperfections in the existing camera network. This new technology raises other civil liberty concerns due to the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence surveillance technology.
China has started using controversial surveillance technology in shopping malls and airports for some time and has announced plans to expand facial recognition in cities and homes by 2020. Also, during this week, Shenzhen authorities offered free rides to subway commuters who agreed to use their faces to "improve this technology."
According to the police, it could install the new camera system in downtown Shanghai and monitor crowd movements in real time, then verify the images with medical and criminal records.
Li Daguang, a professor at the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army in Beijing, also said that the system could "very easily be applied to national defense, the army and public security."
China is not the only country that wants to use facial recognition to monitor the movements of citizens and prevent crimes before they occur.
According to London police, the use of technology is supposed to help find criminals and people wanted by interpol. He also tested last year in Stratford despite opposition from campaign groups.