Israel Debuts Dystopian Surveillance System To Enforce Mask Wearing, Social Distancing
A new surveillance system that detects whether individuals are obeying coronavirus mandates has been implemented in the northern Israeli city of Or Akiva, YNet News reported.
Or Akiva has seen experimental monitoring systems pop up in popular locations throughout the city over the past few weeks, according to YNet News.
The technology is able to detect face masks, social distancing and overcrowding.
The system feeds live video to a control center that catches any violations without needing a person to monitor the camera’s feed.
A first-of-its-kind #surveillance system was deployed in Israel to monitor whether Israelis are following the Health Ministry’s #coronavirus guidelines, such as wearing #masks and #SocialDistancing.
Report by @Sarah_Chemla https://t.co/pNmsEsya5H
— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) November 11, 2020
If non-compliance is detected, a PA system alerts the public of the issue. If further action is required, there are measures in place to call law enforcement, according to Security magazine.
Shlomi Segev, director of the Municipal Authority for the Prevention of Violence, Drugs, and Alcohol Abuse, said that the system was introduced in partnership with Israeli law enforcement with the goal of preventing violence and vandalism and enforcing health guidelines.
Following the deployment of the new system, residents expressed concerns about privacy issues, drawing comparisons to China’s surveillance systems.
A local reportedly wrote on Facebook, “We are becoming China, and this is just the beginning.”
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