Hong Kong police to enable AI facial recognition on CCTV network this month

Hong Kong police plan to introduce AI-powered facial recognition technology into their smart surveillance network this month. The force aims to enhance the tracking of missing persons or suspects by saving the generated data for up to 180 days. Eric Leung Ming-leung, a senior superintendent, explained that the technology would decrease the time spent reviewing closed-circuit television footage, enabling officers to focus on other investigative tasks.

The system operates in two ways: officers can input a suspect's facial features to search past footage, and the system can also provide real-time alerts when a person of interest appears on camera. Searches in the system require approval from an inspector-level officer or above and must align with national security, crime prevention, and public safety goals.

The data storage requirement is less stringent for facial recognition-generated data, allowing it to be kept for up to 180 days, compared to 31 days for video footage. All CCTV cameras in the SmartView project, which will have 60,000 cameras installed by 2028, are placed in public areas, and privacy impact assessments have been conducted with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data.

Police have already solved 2,192 criminal cases and arrested 2,831 people using AI technology since the SmartView project's 2024 launch.