CHONGQING, China — The city of Chongqing, home to 15.35 million people, had 2.58 million surveillance cameras in 2019, according to an analysis by the tech-research website Comparitech, making it the most surveilled urban area in the world. That works out to one camera for every 5.9 residents, a density 30 times higher than Washington, D.C.
Many residents say the cameras make them feel safer. Mrs. Chen, a tai chi practitioner, recounted dropping her purse during a morning session. A security guard used overhead cameras to locate it and placed it at a lost-and-found station.
"Were it not for these cameras, someone might have stolen it," said Mrs. Chen, who asked to be identified by her surname only. "Having these cameras everywhere makes me feel safe."
Chongqing is not alone. Eight of the 10 most surveilled cities in the world are in China, according to Comparitech. The country's camera network is part of a system of social control with few rivals in scale.
Facial recognition software underpins much of that infrastructure. The technology controls access to office buildings, helps apprehend criminal suspects and flags jaywalkers at busy intersections.
The technology has spread beyond China. London police made an arrest using facial recognition, cross-referencing public camera feeds with a database of known individuals. Police in New Delhi reportedly identified 3,000 missing children in four days during a trial of the software. In Brazil, authorities captured a wanted drug trafficker in August after facial recognition identified him at a subway station.
Within China, officials routinely emphasize visible security measures in public spaces, including on public transport, as a guarantee of order.
Human rights organizations say the system comes at a steep cost. They point to severe restrictions on freedom of speech, press, religion and assembly, and describe China's political system as authoritarian, with no freely elected national government.
Former detainees describe the consequences firsthand. Bakitali, who escaped to Kazakhstan after being held, said he was compelled to report daily for "political education" and to write self-criticisms. He said former detainees are often forced to work in government factories for as little as 35 cents a day.
"The entire system is designed to suppress us," Bakitali said.
