Indian officials will use identification technology to crack down on railroad crimes, raising privacy concerns.

Most of the major railway stations in India will have identification technology applied later this year, a senior Indian official said.

The system is being tested at the Bengaluru technology center, formerly known as Bangalore, using artificial intelligence (AI). About 500,000 faces are scanned every day and match those stored in the police database of criminals.

India's railway is one of the largest in the world, extending from the foothills of the Himalayas to the south coast. This system transports about 23 million people a day, which is equivalent to the population of Taiwan. However, India's railways have also been exploited by traffickers, bringing millions of women and children to cities. They promised them good jobs, then sold the victims of sex slavery or trapped them, forcing them to work to pay the debt.

The plan to use identification technology will also apply on board, with surveillance cameras installed in 1,200 out of 58.00 cars. Authorities also tested sensors to detect sounds, from debate to screams.

"The railways will become virtual fortresses. We can make the entire system safer," said a senior rail industry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

According to the person, the image of everyone's face will be stored remotely for up to 30 days, the Railway Protection Force is approached, helping to solve security issues, after the "authorized person" approves. . Authorities say that in a country of 1.3 billion people, such technology is needed to strengthen a system that lacks resources and manpower.

While supporters argue that the software works, some analysts say the benefits are unclear, when people suffer privacy and surveillance losses. Raman Jit Singh Chima, Asia Policy Director at Access Now, specializes in digital rights, raising concerns about the potential for leaks and personal data that could be used for other purposes. . Chima said Indian rail officials were invading the privacy of the people. Since last year, India has used identification technology in some airports and cafes. The lack of data protection laws has caused criticism from human rights defenders.

In some parts of the world, people have objected to the use of identification technology. In Francisco and Oakland, USA, the government has banned the use of this technology. The EU is considering similar moves in public areas for a maximum of 5 years.