Huawei’s facial recognition technology causes anxiety in Serbia

Authorities say the hundreds of Huawei-made video cameras installed in Belgrade help reduce crime in the city of 2 million

Critics contend the technology erodes personal freedoms, makes political opponents vulnerable to retribution and exposes citizens to snooping by China

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Video cameras hang from an office building in downtown Belgrade, Serbia. Photo: AP

Published: 2:45am, 17 Oct 2019Updated: 4:44am, 17 Oct 2019

When hundreds of video cameras with the power to identify and track individuals started appearing in the streets of Belgrade as part of a major surveillance project, some protesters began having second thoughts about joining anti-government demonstrations in the Serbian capital.

Local authorities assert the system, created by Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, helps reduce crime in the city of 2 million. Critics contend it erodes personal freedoms, makes political opponents vulnerable to retribution and even exposes the country’s citizens to snooping by China’s government.

The cameras, equipped with facial recognition technology, are being rolled out across hundreds of cities around the world, particularly in poorer countries with weak track records on human rights where Beijing has increased its influence through big business deals.

With the United States claiming that Chinese state authorities can get backdoor access to Huawei data, the aggressive roll-out is raising concerns about the privacy of millions of people in countries with little power to stand up to Beijing.

According to authorities in Belgrade, the video cameras help reduce crime in the city of 2 million. Photo: AP

“The system can be used to trail political opponents, monitor regime critics at any moment, which is completely against the law,” said Serbia’s former commissioner for personal data protection, Rodoljub Sabic.

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