Chinese police have arrested a man using facial recognition, after high-tech cameras identified an alleged criminal among fans at a 60,000-strong pop concert.
The suspect, known only by his surname Ao, had been in attendance at a concert by Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung, in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, southwest China, last week.
Despite being among thousands of Cheung fans, the system flagged Ao up to security thanks to facial recognition cameras and police arrested him at the show.
Arrested: Suspect, known only by his surname Mr Ao, left, was identified among 60,000 people attending a concert by Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung, in Nanchang, Jiangxi province
The 31-year-old from Zhangshu, Jiangxi province, had been on a wanted list for an ‘economic dispute’ in the neighbouring Guangxi province.
Video footage shows the moment the shocked suspect is arrested by several police officers, and he can be heard saying: ‘My friends and I bought the concert ticket and I went with my wife.
‘If I knew of it [facial recognition], I wouldn’t go.’
Li Jin, a local police officer told ChinaDaily: ‘The concert attracted more than 60,000 visitors, so we paid a lot of attention to its security,’ said Li.
‘We set up several cameras at the ticket entrance, which was equipped with facial recognition technology.’
Caught: Video footage shows the moment Ao is arrested at the concert
Famous face: The 31-year-old from Zhangshu, Jiangxi province, had been on a wanted list for an ‘economic dispute’
Party like it’s 1984: A police officer in in China’s central Henan province is seen wearing a pair of smartglasses with a facial recognition system this month
Using facial recognition technology to monitor the public is already wide-spread practice in China.
Around 40 local governments use its CCTV recognition to monitor individuals on government blacklists, particularly during festivals and other public events as well as in airports.
Last month, some police began to don high-tech sunglasses that can spot suspects in crowded areas – the newest use of facial recognition technology that has drawn concerns among human rights groups.
The glasses send people’s images to a database that checks their personal information.
It is part of China’s efforts to build a digital surveillance system able to use a variety of biometric data – from photos and iris scans to fingerprints – to keep close tabs on the movements of the entire population.