Shanghai spends billions on facial recognition to control the population

After two months of booking due to a A new wave of Covid-19, nearly 26 million Shanghai residents have regained their previous lives. Pictures show them running to shops and parks. The city had never experienced such a period of confinement before, and the authorities had to manage several attempts at riots and rebellions with many arrests.

Today, life has resumed its course, but the strategy zero covid still fragile. To take transportation, you must show your credentials, which is not a complete vaccination schedule, but evidence of a negative test. However, not all public places have the human means to control everyone, and therefore we must resort to digital means.

Two million “digital guard”

according to Everbright Securities BrokerageChina’s largest city, outside the conglomerate, is determined not to experience such a period, and has released an amount equal to $7.5 billion to equip itself with “digital guards”. Behind this term hide the so-called “smart” devices capable of monitoring the temperature, the vaccinations and results covid-19 tests population.

The South China Morning Newspaper Reports indicate that the municipality wants to install up to two million of these devices in public places. If experience is decisive, other cities should emulate Shanghai. Behind this device are SenseTime, the largest artificial intelligence (AI) company in China, but also Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology and Zhejiang Dahua Technology, the largest manufacturers of Surveillance Cameras from the state.

Six monitoring functions

Most of these “digital guards” use facial recognition technology to verify and record information about individuals’ tests and vaccinations COVID-19 and theirs movements Recently. These devices will be used to allow entry to public places, and they cost between 2,000 and 10,000 yuan each, or between 280 and 1,200 euros.

” The device has six functions: mask detection, temperature check, health code check, vaccination history check, HIV check checknucleic acid and identity verification, which helps in quick verification of different places and brings convenience to the public”And the SenseTime explains on its official website.

China: Immorality of techniques to deal with the Corona virus epidemic

A mobile app that tracks virus carriers, a scanner that measures temperature remotely, Drone Disinfectant spray or AI for mappingepidemic… Chinese tech companies are doing everything they can to fight Covid-19. Immorality in technologies where privacy protection comes after health.

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Céline DeLoischer

The Corona Virus Covid-19 has already infected more than 68,000 people in China and caused more than 1,700 deaths. Exceptional containment measures, compulsory wearing of masks, disinfectants It was sprayed on the streets, factories closed their doors … The country is using major means to combat the epidemic. But he depends above all on his experience issue New technologies: drones, artificial intelligence, robots And the big data It is put to use.

Patient tracking application

Is it possible that you have covid-19 virus ? In China, residents can now download a file Request Which indicates whether you have been in close contact with an infected person (for example, a relative, a passenger on an aircraft, or medical staff). The app is called Close contact detectorbased on the personal data of users who have to clear data QR Code on me smart phone. In Hong Kong, monitoring is even stricter: families placed in quarantine must wear smart bracelet Which checks if people are still confined to their homes. If the bracelet is damaged or separated from the phone for more than 20 meters, an alert is sent immediately. according to South China Morning NewspaperViolators of the quarantine procedures are subject to 6 months imprisonment and a fine of 4,600 euros.

Remote fever scanner

In the Beijing subway, travelers are screened by a Infrared Scanner which measures its temperature. Developed by Megvii, A start Chinese, ” The system is able to accurately detect a Body temperature At distances of more than 3 meters and in the midst of heavy passenger traffic, even when a person wear a mask or a hat “,” confirms to the company. Then the passenger is identified by face recognition. ” This allows employees to perform contactless examinations physical tight, while reducing potential coronavirus transmission and improving passenger flow Its competitor Baidu has developed a similar system capable of detecting the temperature of 200 people per minute, faster than the scanners used in airports.

Robots ask for passersby

In the provinces affected by the epidemic, it is best not to venture into the street without wearing the required mask. Tiny robots with speakers and cameras warn passersby who risk going outside without a mask, and scan their temperature with a camera Infrared. In case’abnormalityThe robot raises an alarm, sends an alert to the police and reports Global Times. And so robots are patrolling airports, shopping malls and large public squares. In many large cities, drones fly over major roads and invite motorists to scan a QR code to submit their health data to the authorities.

Drones to disinfect streets and bring medicines

” keep your windows Locked and stay at home The hymn of the drone flying over the buildings spraying disinfectant on the streets. A drone loaded with 10 liters of disinfectant can spray an area of ​​about 8,000 square meters, according to China Internet Information Center (China.org). In several villages, drones are designed to be deployed Insecticides The fields were diverted to clear the streets. Others pledge to implement drug delivery Or masks for people confined to their homes. In Nanjing, while human delivery people are prohibited from entering buildings to avoid this radioactive contaminationThese are robots on wheels that take care of deliveries to residents. ” The robot has an autonomy of up to 10 hours and can even use elevators “,” China.org reports.

Artificial intelligence to fight the virus

China is widely using its expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) to fight the new Covid-19 virus. Thus, Baidu, the Chinese search engine giant, made its computing capabilities available to scientists to study the virus. According to the company, its algorithm multiplies by 20 Sequence speed. Several research teams are also working on AI capable of mapping and predicting a file virus spread. Tencent and Baidu provided their own user data to model how the virus might have left Wuhan In the days following his appearance. Other algorithms scan a file social networksand media reports and official health data to determine where the virus is likely to spread. For its part, Chinese startup iFlytek has developed an algorithm to identify high-risk patients according to their age, place of residence or medical condition.