Thread by @bbw1984

BREAKING: Kings Cross under private facial recognition surveillance @kingscrossN1C

This is the worst case scenario for privacy. Huge areas of our capital have been sold off, privately policed - and now are being covered with Chinese-style surveillance.

ft.com/content/8cbcb3…

UPDATE: Silkie here. Just spent some time in Kings Cross Ltd

Look up at this helpful sign! 👀

#facialrecognition

Also spotted this. This is an Avigilon H4 camera. It’s features include ‘self learning video analytics’ such as ‘unusual motion detection’.

This camera “can detect and alert users of a person or vehicle of interest.”

Here’s some info about it:

There are no signs anywhere about facial recognition, analytics, or the like.

Spoke to several security staff, including senior - all were “under instruction” to say nothing and defer to a PR firm. I heard one ask a manager what “the line” is. 🤐

I asked a security staffer where the signs were. He radioed to his manager, who responded with instructions that he should film me with his body worn video camera and “collect information” about me.

So whilst I have made friends ⬇️ I’m afraid we still don’t know exactly what is happening with our biometric photos, who is collecting the data, how it’s being used, where it’s stored - or how they’re getting away with it. For now...