In Russia, the number of cameras with a facial recognition system has exceeded 500,000

The number of video cameras all over Russia connected to the face recognition system has exceeded half a million, according to The Moscow Times, whose journalists have studied the data of the official portals of the Russian authorities.

According to these data, the system of tracking citizens has already been implemented in 62 regions of the country, in the near future it may affect three quarters of its territory.

Moscow is the leader in the number of cameras with a facial recognition system, with 216,000 such devices on its streets. The Moscow Times notes that video surveillance in the capital has become almost total: it covers 90% of the residential sector and 74% of public places.

• The Russian authorities increasingly use the facial recognition system to control the opposition and suppress civil activity. So, during the past year, hundreds of activists, citizens who took part in protest rallies, bloggers and independent journalists were detained with the help of video cameras in the Moscow metro. Their photos in the face recognition system were clearly marked with a special image. The authorities also actively used the system to catch citizens who evaded mobilization and military personnel who left their place of service.