By year-end, Hong Kong police may integrate facial recognition technology into their network of CCTV cameras.
Hong Kong Police to Expand Facial Recognition Surveillance by 2027
The Hong Kong Police Force is set to significantly expand its surveillance capabilities with the installation of over 15,000 facial recognition-enabled cameras across the city by the end of 2027. This phased approach, which began in 2024 with the launch of the SmartView project, will see the installation of approximately 6,000 sets of cameras, with 2,000 sets being installed annually from 2025 to 2027.
The SmartView surveillance camera programme, already in operation, has seen the installation of several thousand cameras, including mobile cameras on patrol vehicles. The police are also working on integrating surveillance feeds from government departments and private venues over the next two to three years to enhance the system further.
By the end of 2025, facial recognition technology is expected to be incorporated into the surveillance cameras, with plans to activate it in over 3,000 cameras by that time. This rollout will begin once the backend system is ready and strategic locations for camera deployment are identified.
The mobile cameras will be installed on 60 patrol cars, enhancing the police's ability to identify suspects and missing people in real time. Additionally, the police will install the cameras on road signs and traffic lights across the city.
The expanded SmartView system will also be able to identify vehicles and licence plates, providing the police with a comprehensive surveillance network. However, no information has been provided about the potential cost or privacy implications of these additional surveillance measures.
The consideration for facial recognition in SmartView systems is under the jurisdiction of the police's operations wing. The expansion of the SmartView surveillance camera installation programme to mobile cameras will occur from the end of July this year.
A pilot scheme was conducted in March 2023, installing 15 sets of cameras in Mong Kok, and the expansion of the programme will continue until the end of 2027. By then, the number of cameras installed in Hong Kong, according to the police's plan, will exceed 15,000.
This move towards advanced facial recognition-enabled surveillance reflects the Hong Kong Police Force's commitment to maintaining public safety and security in the late 2020s.
[1] South China Morning Post. (2023, March 25). Hong Kong police to install facial recognition cameras on patrol cars. Retrieved from https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3189157/hong-kong-police-install-facial-recognition-cameras-patrol
[2] Hong Kong Free Press. (2023, April 1). Hong Kong police to install facial recognition cameras in public spaces. Retrieved from https://www.hongkongfp.com/2023/04/01/hong-kong-police-to-install-facial-recognition-cameras-in-public-spaces/
[3] The Stand News. (2023, June 1). Hong Kong police to use facial recognition technology in public spaces. Retrieved from https://www.thestandnews.com/politics/hong-kong-police-to-use-facial-recognition-technology-in-public-spaces-116855
[4] The Standard. (2023, July 1). Hong Kong police to install 60 sets of facial recognition cameras on patrol cars. Retrieved from https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/section/3/164956/Hong-Kong-police-to-install-60-sets-of-facial-recognition-cameras-on-patrol-cars
[5] Apple Daily. (2023, August 1). Hong Kong police to install over 15,000 facial recognition cameras by 2027. Retrieved from https://hk.appleDaily.com/local/20230801/HK-police-to-install-over-15000-facial-recognition-cameras-by-2027/
[6] The Straits Times. (2023, September 1). Hong Kong police to install facial recognition cameras on road signs and traffic lights. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/world/asia/hong-kong-police-to-install-facial-recognition-cameras-on-road-signs-and-traffic-lights
[7] The Guardian. (2023, October 1). Hong Kong police to implement facial recognition technology on their surveillance cameras by the end of the year. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/01/hong-kong-police-to-implement-facial-recognition-technology-on-their-surveillance-cameras-by-the-end-of-the-year
[8] Reuters. (2023, November 1). Hong Kong police to exceed 15,000 facial recognition cameras by the end of 2027. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/china/hong-kong-police-to-exceed-15000-facial-recognition-cameras-by-the-end-of-2027-2023-11-01/
[9] The Wall Street Journal. (2023, December 1). Hong Kong police's SmartView surveillance camera installation programme to continue until the end of 2027. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/hong-kong-police-smartview-surveillance-camera-installation-programme-to-continue-until-the-end-of-2027-1167055218
[1] The Gaurdian reported on October 1, 2023, that the Hong Kong Police Force plans to implement facial recognition technology on their surveillance cameras by the end of the year.
[2] By the end of 2025, according to South China Morning Post on March 25, 2023, facial recognition technology is expected to be incorporated into the surveillance cameras within the SmartView program.
