HYDERABAD: Authorities recently took down various warning signs that urged the public to be ‘wary’ of CCTV cameras after city-based privacy researchers raised an alarm over the brazen display of surveillance in the city, however, when contacted, a Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) official said, “They were removed because they had become monotonous and had to make way for other posters.”
The warning signs used to say, “Big Boss is watching you: Do not rush while entry”.The issue was highlighted by city-based independent security researcher Srinivas Kodali, who in November had tweeted a picture of a warning sign.
The tweet read, “The playing of bigg boss ads and warnings and usage of facial recognition by Hyderabad is what exactly an authoritarian state would do to control your citizens. Your initiatives are not appreciated @md_hmrk. Get a better PR agency which recommends us to follow the rule of law.”
There is no specific law governing surveillance in the country. Earlier, the city police had tweeted pictures showing officers conducting facial recognition scans in various localities. When Kodali had asked the police to provide details of the law under which the operations were taken, the tweets were deleted.
“The difference now is that there is no warning sign and travellers need not be spooked. The removal indicates that it is a waste of money on needless advertisements,” Kodali.
Hyderabad Metro officially uses facial recognition technology through its CCTV cameras. The same was highlighted when NVS Reddy, MD of HMRL, announced that a man who was creating nuisance in the Metro at Tarnaka station was caught with the help of CCTV footage and face recognition technology.