Hong Kong police to introduce AI facial recognition to Smart View surveillance network

The Hong Kong police's Smart View network will deploy AI facial recognition to automate video analysis, a task previously requiring extensive manual effort. This system will operate in two primary modes: retrospective searches, where officers input suspect images to trace their presence across recorded footage, and real-time tracking, primarily for missing persons, which triggers immediate alerts when a pre-authorized image is detected by a camera.

A key element of this expansion is the integration of private commercial properties. Police are in discussions with major private malls, with the first batch expected to connect their camera feeds directly to the police surveillance grid by the end of this year. This direct connection enables remote review of footage during active inquiries, potentially streamlining investigations by removing the need for officers to physically visit sites for manual data requests.

The network is slated to expand significantly, targeting 60,000 cameras across public housing estates, transport hubs, border control points, and major venues by 2028. While continuous facial recognition analysis will not run on every camera simultaneously due to computational demands, the system's capacity can be dynamically reallocated for intensive monitoring in specific cases. Authorities state data collection is confined to statutory purposes and requires internal approval based on necessity and proportionality.