What we're missing from the pedestrian traffic light saga

 

Recently, it has become fashionable for Sofia citizens to brag on social networks about original and effective ways of dealing with the latest innovation in the pedestrian life of the capital's residents - traffic light buttons. As you know, at this point, their function seems completely redundant as the only thing they do is not let pedestrians cross, even when it is their turn, if they have not pressed the button. Dnevnik even came out with a special investigation #Who exactly took the order to install the "smart" machines and indeed there are several worrying points in the order. What caught the attention of the authors of EKIP is something else, however.
Enthusiastic about pressing those buttons and arguing with the pedestrian traffic light, you probably haven't looked at what's happening above you. The truth is that wherever such a traffic light is installed, a surveillance camera is also installed above it.

 

Who is being observed?

We decided to test our fears by taking a walk in a randomly selected part of Sofia to film the cars filming us. We chose the area enclosed between Vazkresenie, Todor Aleksandrov, Konstantin Velichkov and Vardar boulevards, with the only condition that it was not in the Center, because there the logic of having massive video surveillance is greater. As can be seen from the photos, we found that wherever a pedestrian traffic light with a button is placed, video surveillance cameras are also placed along with it. Someone would think that the cameras are there to monitor traffic, but the case is much different.

The way the cameras are placed suggests that their main purpose is not to capture traffic violators, but to capture pedestrians crossing the street. Each camera is positioned to prioritize this purpose. As can be seen from the photos, even if an accident occurs on the pedestrian crossing, the camera would hardly be able to capture the offender's license plate number. The main target is citizens and their faces. It is assumed that where such cameras are placed, an autonomous optical network is also laid for them. Thus, the already quoted price of 12,000 leva per button is already starting to make sense. Whether the cameras only record after a button is pressed or are constantly on, we can only guess. What is clear from our humble observation is that if you are moving in the indicated area, it is practically impossible to get from point A to point B without falling into the field of view of at least one of the cameras.

 

Why do we need this Big Brother?

 

Of course, the first answer of the authorities will be – terrorism. It would sound a bit crazy that exactly the Razsadnika and Sveta Troitsa neighborhoods are breeding grounds for terrorist cells, and how the camera would stop the aggressive intentions of an organized group of terrorists remains unclear, so we will leave this answer without comment.
Another favorite answer is “If you have nothing to hide, there is no reason to worry.” However, few people realize the scale of surveillance we are talking about. Purely in theory, the Ministry of Interior or whoever is watching these cameras could learn your daily route in painful detail, know where you went after leaving home, how often you visit your boyfriend or girlfriend, when you shop at the local store, and so on. Even if you are not hiding any of these things, an institution that knows each of them is capable of total control over your life.
Of course, we are not there yet. Automated facial recognition systems have not yet been integrated on a mass scale, because there is still much to be desired as a technology, but when that moment comes, the authorities will have the logistical support of cameras to be hooked up to this system. This will happen abruptly, unexpectedly and literally overnight. Don't expect anyone to brag that the system works. We will be so used to the cameras above our heads that we will not even notice how they move when we move.

Whether we will live in some Orwellian dystopia or whether we will effectively deal with crime, we do not know. However, what is happening deserves the attention of civil society. So, the next time you look around before crossing the street, know that someone is looking for you.

 

 

The article was written by: Dimitar Karagegov and Plamen P. Batalski