Facial Recognition in the Moscow Metro

Facial Recognition in the Moscow Metro
Excluded from graph
Deployment Status	Ongoing
Deployment Start Date
Deployment End Date
Events	* uses Record type Property:Has event Start (1 December 2020, Documented, ?, From December 2020 the Moscow metro system introduces facial recognition with a plan to include all metro stations) uses Record type Property:Has event Start (15 October 2021, Documented, ?, Since 15 October 2021 all Moscow Metro stations allow to pay for the service through facial recognition system)
City	Moscow
Country	Russia
Involved Entities	Government of Moscow
Keywords
Technology Deployed	FindFace
Information Certainty	Documented
Primary sources	1, 2, 3, 4
Datasets Used	Unknown Dataset 0016
Deployment Type	Surveillance, Automated Payments, Political Surveillance
runs search software
managed by	Ntech Lab
used by	Moscow Metro
Potentially used by
Information Certainty	0
Summary	The Moscow Metro has introduced a facial recognition system across all 241 stations, enabling customers to pay by simply looking into a camera. Despite authorities emphasizing its use for payments and security, concerns about potential human rights violations arise. Trial since December 2020, the FacePay system has garnered thousands of users, set for full implementation by October 15. The Moscow IT Department asserts the upgrade's goal is to enhance safety and data protection. However, privacy lawyers and digital rights groups worry about potential misuse, fearing increased surveillance and harassment by the Kremlin against perceived opponents.

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Information Certainty: Documented

Deployment Purpose: Surveillance, Automated Payments, Political Surveillance

Summary

The Moscow Metro has introduced a facial recognition system across all 241 stations, enabling customers to pay by simply looking into a camera. Despite authorities emphasizing its use for payments and security, concerns about potential human rights violations arise. Trial since December 2020, the FacePay system has garnered thousands of users, set for full implementation by October 15. The Moscow IT Department asserts the upgrade's goal is to enhance safety and data protection. However, privacy lawyers and digital rights groups worry about potential misuse, fearing increased surveillance and harassment by the Kremlin against perceived opponents.

• Details

Products and Institutions:

Product Deployed	FindFace
Institutions ⠉	Ntech Lab
Datasets	Unknown Dataset 0016
Search software

Status and Events:

Status	Ongoing
Events	Start (1 December 2020, Documented, ?, From December 2020 the Moscow metro system introduces facial recognition with a plan to include all metro stations) Start (15 October 2021, Documented, ?, Since 15 October 2021 all Moscow Metro stations allow to pay for the service through facial recognition system)
Start Date
End Date

Users:

Involved Entities	Government of Moscow
Managed by	Ntech Lab
Used by	Moscow Metro

Location:

City	Moscow
Country ⠉	Russia

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Description

The Moscow Metro has introduced a facial recognition system in all its stations allowing customers to pay just by looking into a camera. Although the authorities claim that this service only used for payment operations and enforcing security, there are worries that the use of this technology may breach human rights.

The Moscow metro system is introducing a new contactless payment system using facial recognition software despite concerns from privacy and security advocates about the technology. The Russian capital's underground rail system, which dates back to the 1930s, has been trialling the use of a facial recognition-based system since December 2020 with thousands of Muscovites already signed up for the scheme. Called FacePay, it will be in place for passengers to use at all 241 stations on Moscow's 14 metro lines from October 15, city authorities said. 1

The Moscow IT Department said the planned upgrade aims to create a safer environment for Moscow residents and to improve data protection. According to the authorities, in July, the Moscow metro facial recognition system detected 221 people from a list of wanted criminal suspects. Privacy lawyers and digital rights groups have already expressed concerns over the human rights implications of the upgrade, including enhancing the Kremlin’s capacity to surveil and harass anyone it perceives as opponents. 2

This page uses the following references:

• Security_Vision_Wiki_References#_SCITE98f66b4c3cb249c10a6345abaeafa812