Facial recognition, a powerful tool for control and repression in authoritarian regimes.
Georgian Protesters Use Masks to Evade Facial Recognition Amidst Government Crackdown
In recent weeks, anti-government demonstrations in Georgia have taken on a carnival-esque atmosphere, albeit with less joy. Venetian masks adorned with glitter, black lace headbands, clown masks, and oversized heart-shaped glasses are now common sights. In Tbilisi, protesters are engaging in a creative arms race to evade facial recognition cameras that the government has been installing en masse since the start of the protest movement in November 2024.
“We are being careful, we have to avoid being identified by the cameras. Otherwise, we receive a fine of 5,000 laris [€1,587],” explains an anonymous demonstrator, wearing a surgical mask and sunglasses despite the darkness.
Visible near the Parliament, the epicenter of the protests, most of these high-tech cameras were purchased from the Chinese company Dahua, which was sanctioned by the United States in 2019 for its involvement in the repression of Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region of China. According to the Georgian Ministry of the Interior, 30 new cameras have been installed in Tbilisi alone, officially to replace those damaged during the demonstrations and “to ensure effective security of protest actions.” Their proliferation in Georgia, which signed a strategic partnership with China in 2023, is worrying civil society activists. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) denounces this as a tactic of intimidation and control of protesters, with a worrying “deterrent effect” at a time when this former Soviet republic in the Caucasus is turning its back on the European Union (EU) and sinking into authoritarianism.
GYLA is alarmed that images captured during rallies are often the only evidence used during the trials of protesters. “This is their new method to scare people,” remarks Tata Tchankvetadze, a legal expert at the organization. “By zooming in, these cameras even allow you to read what is written on a piece of paper held by a demonstrator. The authorities are gathering a lot of information about us, which they can use as they wish.”
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