China is hardcore about dealing with jaywalkers. Xinhuanet reports that police there are using facial recognition technology to identify people who cross the road against the light, then expose their photo and personal information to the public to shame them!
Traffic management authorities in several Chinese cities have installed facial recognition equipment and screens at major intersections to tackle the ongoing problem of jaywalking and encourage road safety. The equipment in Jinan, capital of east China’s Shandong Province, has captured photographic proof of more than 6,000 cases involving pedestrians and non-motorized vehicles crossing roads during red lights just since May.
The facial recognition equipment takes snapshots and a 15-second video when it detects pedestrians crossing the intersection on a red light. The photographs appear on the screen immediately so the offender can see they have been caught.
The photographs are then compared with the images in the provincial police department database and matches are checked by a police officer to confirm accuracy. Within 20 minutes, the offender’s photograph and personal information such as their ID number and home address are displayed on the screen. Officers contact offenders and give them a choice of three forms of punishment: a fine of 20 yuan (around 3 U.S. dollars), a half-hour traffic rule course, or 20 minutes assisting police in controlling traffic.
Offenders’ information may also be published on social media and in the future, police may also inform the offenders’ employers or residential communities of the violation.
Facial recognition is becoming increasingly common in China, where it has been installed in ATM machines, KFC restaurants, female university dormitories and even public toilets to save toilet paper.
In an effort to protect offender’s privacy, screens at intersections only show pictures of adults and hide several numbers or characters on the offender’s ID number and address.