Hong Kong is set to dramatically scale up its surveillance capabilities, with plans to install tens of thousands of cameras equipped with artificial intelligence-powered facial recognition technology. Security chief Chris Tang announced on Friday that the program, known as SmartView, will bring the city closer in line with mainland China, where authorities routinely use cutting-edge tools to monitor public spaces.
Since its launch last year, the SmartView initiative has placed nearly 4,000 cameras across the city, a number that is expected to grow to 60,000 by 2028, according to official documents submitted to the legislature. Police say the system has already proven effective, helping solve more than 400 cases and leading to 787 arrests. Authorities argue the expansion is essential for national security, crime prevention, and the swift identification of suspects.
The technology, Tang told lawmakers, will not only track crowds and read license plates but will also “naturally be applied to people, such as tracking a criminal suspect.” While he confirmed that real-time facial recognition could be in use “as early as the end of this year,” he did not provide specifics on the rollout timeline, saying decisions on resources and technology are still under review.
Hong Kong’s growing embrace of AI surveillance places it among a global debate over the balance between security and civil liberties. While Britain has experimented with similar systems, the European Union last year adopted legislation banning real-time biometric identification in most public spaces, citing risks of abuse and wrongful arrests. Civil rights groups worldwide have warned that facial recognition technology remains prone to errors, particularly false matches that could lead to unjust detentions.
Local concerns mirror those abroad. Hong Kong’s privacy commissioner has not confirmed whether it was consulted on the plan, raising questions about accountability and oversight. Eric Lai, a Senior Fellow at the Georgetown Center for Asian Law, said the absence of clear legal safeguards is troubling. “It is therefore questionable whether the existing legal and regulatory framework is sufficient to prevent police abuse of power in deploying AI technology for surveillance, or whether procurement processes are conducted with proper regard for human rights due diligence,” Lai cautioned.
With thousands of AI cameras soon to watch over its streets, Hong Kong faces mounting questions: will enhanced surveillance bring greater safety, or will it come at the expense of fundamental freedoms?
