COVID-19 Accelerates State Surveillance and Tracking Tools

A recent investigation by the Associated Press (AP) has revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated and normalized state surveillance and tracking tools, which are now being used to investigate crime and harass marginalized communities. The investigation found that governments around the world have implemented new digital surveillance systems, including facial recognition technology, cellphone tracking, drones, and other technologies. The report also found that these technologies are disproportionately used against minority groups and those living in poverty. For example, in China’s Xinjiang region, authorities use facial recognition technology to monitor Uighur Muslims. In India, police have been using cellphone tracking to target people who participated in protests against a controversial citizenship law. In Mexico City, drones are being used to monitor social distancing protocols during the pandemic. The AP investigation also highlighted how some of these technologies can be abused by authoritarian regimes or corrupt officials for political gain or personal enrichment. For instance, in Russia’s Chechnya region, authorities use facial recognition technology to identify political opponents of President Ramzan Kadyrov for harassment or arrest. In India’s Uttar Pradesh state, police officers have been accused of using cell phone tracking data to extort money from innocent citizens under the guise of enforcing coronavirus restrictions. The report concluded that while digital surveillance can be beneficial in certain circumstances such as preventing terrorist attacks or identifying criminals quickly after a crime is committed; it should not be used indiscriminately or without proper oversight as it can lead to human rights abuses and violations of privacy rights. It also warned that governments must ensure that any new digital surveillance systems they implement comply with international human rights standards and laws before they are put into place.