In São Paulo, 'Big Brother' is watching, with 25K cameras and facial recognition
a year ago
- #public-safety
- #facial-recognition
- #surveillance
- São Paulo has implemented a vast municipal video surveillance network called Smart Sampa, featuring 25,000 cameras and facial recognition technology.
- The system uses artificial intelligence to scan faces and compare them with a database of fugitives, leading to 1,044 arrests and 2,289 criminals caught red-handed within six months.
- Mayor Ricardo Nunes highlights the system's success, emphasizing no shots fired or mistakes made during operations.
- The technology, powered by Russian software FindFace, is managed by a consortium of Brazilian companies and includes a 'prisonometer' to track arrests.
- Facial recognition is expanding in Brazil, with 376 projects nationwide, raising concerns about privacy and accuracy, especially for underrepresented groups.
- Critics, including NGOs, warn of risks like misuse of data and predictive policing, while proponents argue the system enjoys broad public support.
- The city plans to expand the network to 100,000 cameras by 2028, despite debates over surveillance and civil liberties.