Governments around the world are installing thousands of surveillance cameras to monitor urban spaces. With the help of AI-powered facial recognition and predictive algorithms, cities are becoming safer and more efficient. Supporters argue that surveillance reduces crime, helps track missing people, and prevents terrorist activity. If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear, they claim.
The mass surveillance of citizens sets a dangerous precedent. Facial recognition and data tracking can be used not only for safety, but for control and repression. Even in democratic countries, personal data can be mishandled or abused. What begins as crime prevention could easily evolve into a tool of political surveillance. A truly free society requires the right to anonymity and privacy in public spaces.