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A UAV with surveillance and interception capabilities
A U.S. Park Service Police Officer takes video
of spectators observing an incident in which the
USPP has kettled a group of people at 12th and
L NW in Washington, D.C., on Inauguration Day, 20
January 2017 by Mobilus in Mobili is licensed under
CC BY 2.0
into vehicles, worn covertly by officers, installed in a server-type unit, operated via
a laptop, or be fixed at specific locations (e.g., places frequently used for public
assemblies). Capabilities include obtaining the unique identifying numbers of mobile
phones (i.e., IMSI / IMEI), mass or targeted interception and storage of voice calls
and SMS messages, decryption of encrypted communications, re-routing of calls,
masquerading as the user and voice recognition.
Facial Recognition utilizes cameras linked to software that analyses images,
video or live footage, to match images of people’s faces in public with images on
a pre-screened list, or “watch list”. Facial recognition is a biometric tool relying on
a person’s unique physical features, but used at a distance.
Interception technologies which could potentially be used by police forces for the
management of public gatherings are not usually deployed in sight of the public and
it may not be possible for monitors to identify them at the time. However, evidence
of surveillance may be reported by participants after an event. Surveillance vehicles
usually have some interception capabilities, and their distinguishing features can
include long antennae or mounted satellite dishes, but they can also look similar
from the outside to non-specialized vehicles. The rapid development in capability of
such surveillance and interception technologies, linked to increasing use of artificial
intelligence systems, poses a unique challenge to monitors, especially as much of
this capability is hidden from public scrutiny.
Possible health and/or human rights implications of use in policing assemblies: The UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions
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