Hong Kong’s police force is launching a campaign to install thousands of surveillance cameras across the city to boost its anti-crime capabilities. The Chinese city, consistently ranked among the safest cities in the world, is planning to introduce facial recognition and artificial intelligence tools to enhance law enforcement. However, critics warn that this could come at the cost of privacy and freedom.
Security chief Chris Tang announced in July that Hong Kong has about 55,000 public CCTV cameras, with plans to add 2,000 more this year. The police force is considering equipping these cameras with facial recognition technology and AI tools to help identify suspects. “Police will of course follow relevant laws,” the force said in a statement to CNN, although details of when these technologies might be deployed were unclear.
Experts are particularly concerned about the repressive potential of surveillance technology in Hong Kong. They draw parallels with mainland China’s widespread surveillance systems, highlighting increased concern in Hong Kong, where political dissent has been severely limited since a national security law was introduced following the 2019 anti-government protests. Has been done.
Hong Kong already has more than 54,500 public CCTV cameras, which is about seven cameras per 1,000 people. This number puts it on par with major cities like New York, though well behind China’s urban centers, where an average of 440 cameras per 1,000 people is common.
Mr Tang highlighted that countries like the UK have also started using facial recognition cameras. However, experts warn that even in these democracies, the implementation of such technology has raised significant concerns about privacy.
Professor Norman Witzleb of the Chinese University of Hong Kong said, “It is important to create guidelines for systems that appropriately recognize their potential benefits, but also recognize that they are not foolproof, and they have (people) ) the potential to interfere with rights in a serious way,” he said.
Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute, warned that the new cameras could be used to further political repression under the guise of fighting crime. “This is likely to be another step towards bringing Hong Kong law enforcement closer to the Chinese mainland,” he said.
“The difference is how the technology is being used,” said Samantha Hoffman, a non-resident fellow at the National Bureau of Asian Research. While Western democracies face their own challenges with surveillance technology, he argues that the situation in Hong Kong is fundamentally different because of the legal framework that supports the government’s authority. According to CNN, he commented, “When you feel like you’re being watched, it affects your behavior and your feelings of freedom.”
