Press Release, 11.01.2024

Photo by Yekaterina Yakel, Kommersant

A prototype of a traffic light with a facial recognition camera, which can record violations of traffic rules by pedestrians, was tested in Moscow. The media reported this with reference to the head of the Moscow Traffic Police Department, Alexander Bykov. The police official believes that providing biometric data should become a duty of Russians, not a right. Maxim Kruglov, Deputy Chairman of the Yabloko party and head of the Yabloko faction in the Moscow City Duma, asks Bykov to clarify whether changes will be made to the federal laws on the protection of personal data in order to introduce “spying traffic lights” and whether there are grounds at all for such a system.

In his appeal to the head of the Moscow Traffic Police, Maxim Kruglov refers to Article 24 of the Russian Constitution, according to which “the collection, storage, use and dissemination of information about the private life of a person without his/her consent is not permitted”.

Also in accordance with Article 9, Part 1, of the Federal Law “On Personal Data”, it is the subject of personal data who decides to provide his/her personal data and gives consent to their processing freely, of his/her own free will and in his/her own interest.

However, the head of the Moscow Traffic Police, Alexander Bykov, in his article for the magazine “Road Safety” notes that in order to bring pedestrians who violated traffic rules to administrative responsibility, it is necessary to have biometric data of all citizens. Since when did citizens suddenly start crossing the road at red lights en masse in Moscow, and in such great extent that in order to eliminate such violations, it is necessary to eliminate more citizens’ rights, Maxim Kruglov asks the head of the Moscow Traffic Police.

“Once again, under a plausible pretext, the government brazenly enters into the territory of the rights and freedoms of citizens. We all remember how the Moscow facial recognition system worked so that to arrest activists and participants in peaceful rallies, the right to which is guaranteed by the constitution,” Kruglov commented.

MP Kruglov also notes that this statement by the chief of Moscow Traffic Police concerns not only residents of Moscow, but guests of the city.

Maxim Kruglov asks the head of the Moscow Traffic Police, Alexander Bykov, whether any research has been conducted on the need to introduce a pedestrian facial recognition system in the city and whether the prospects for changing legislation on the protection of their personal data have been discussed with Moscow residents.

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MAXIM KRUGLOV

is a Deputy Chairman of Yabloko,

a member of the Federal Bureau of the Party,

Deputy Chairman of the Moscow branch of Yabloko,

head of the Yabloko faction in the Moscow City Duma,

                                                 Candidate of Political Sciences.