Georgia and Serbia use advanced surveillance tech to suppress dissent, raising human rights concerns and prompting calls for an outright ban.
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Protests in Georgia and Serbia are highlighting the use of advanced surveillance technology by governments perceived as drifting toward authoritarianism. In Georgia, protesters have faced daily demonstrations, met with police force, and subjected to fines, alongside the deployment of Chinese-made facial recognition cameras. Similarly, student protests in Serbia, following a railway station collapse, have seen activists detained and monitored, with the ruling party installing thousands of facial recognition cameras despite legal prohibitions. Both countries are criticized for using surveillance systems, often from Chinese manufacturers, to monitor dissent. Human rights advocates argue that this large-scale, unrestricted surveillance is disproportionate and violates international law. Experts call for an outright ban on such technology, citing the fundamental risk that once such tracking infrastructure is installed, human rights abuses become nearly inevitable. The European Commission has expressed concern over the violence against protesters in both nations and called for respect for fundamental rights, while MEPs are advocating for broader EU regulations to curb the use of surveillance by autocratic regimes.
