New Delhi: The deployment of AI-powered facial recognition vehicles near Delhi’s Jantar Mantar has sparked fresh concerns over privacy and digital surveillance after videos circulating on social media appeared to show police identifying people attending ongoing student protests. A few users alleged that the system is connected to Aadhaar, but there has been no official confirmation to substantiate the claims, and the viral clips do not talk of Aadhaar.
The videos which are spreading widely on X seem to include a Delhi Police surveillance vehicle fitted with 360-degree cameras and screens playing photos and personal details of some people. The video clips have raised concerns about the identity of whom they are trying to locate. Delhi Police hasn’t mentioned that the facial recognition system is linked to Aadhaar or any other government identity database.
Delhi Police has deployed two surveillance vehicles close to the protest spot, an Indian Express report says. The first car is equipped with CCTV cameras around Jantar Mantar, while the second one has AI which can analyse the feeds and compare the faces with images from a police database.
Police officials have told the publication that the technology is not intended to be used to identify all protestors, but rather those with criminal records.
“We have a large database of criminals, with their pictures. So, we run facial recognition on the footage… to see if it flags any face the software matches with someone on our criminal database,” a senior police officer told Indian Express.
The facial recognition system is reportedly housed inside the Ikshana vehicle, which Delhi Police introduced ahead of the 2023 G20 Summit as part of its surveillance infrastructure.
The viral videos have sparked speculations about the tie-up with Aadhaar, as personal data shows on the monitoring screens after faces are scanned. However, there is currently no evidence supporting that claim.
No official statement from Delhi Police or the videos reveals the use of any Aadhaar records. Police have also not revealed which database the information comes from that is being shown by the system.
Some of the students involved in the protest have voiced apprehensions about ‘prolonged surveillance’ of them in the areas. Indian Express reports that some of the protesters have begun to put on their faces, as their images taken during the protest might be stored and then used against them.
A candidate appearing for the UPSC exams told Indian Express that a number of candidates were attempting to steer clear of getting profiled during their admission to future government jobs. There is also no set timeframe for the deletion of recorded footage, police officials added, especially if it may be part of future investigations.
Now, the surveillance is in front of the Delhi High Court in a petition. The plea states that the constant surveillance and facial recognition of protest locations infringes upon privacy, dignity, freedom of speech and freedom of peaceful assembly.
Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of Delhi Police, told the High Court in the hearing on July 20 that the photographing and videography at Jantar Mantar was being done for the purpose of “law and order and keeping public safety intact” and “not for surveillance and snooping. The court has asked the centre to respond and will hear the case again on Friday.
‘Face recognition system’ refers to the process of comparing the features of an image or video of a face to a database of photos of known individuals to identify them. A match is flagged when the similarity score crosses a predefined threshold.
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, is applicable to such use of technology. The law, however, offers various exemptions to government agencies, such as law enforcement, in respect of some of the data protection requirements.
The debate comes as police forces across India increasingly adopt AI-powered surveillance tools, including facial recognition, CCTV networks, drones and automated number plate recognition systems. While authorities say these technologies improve public safety and policing efficiency, privacy advocates continue to raise concerns over transparency, proportionality and the lack of a dedicated legal framework governing surveillance.
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Pragya is a Science and Technology reporter, has Master degree in Journalism, covering a range of stories including space, gadgets and how tech is transforming our lives. She has 4+ years of industry experience in Digital Media and Content Writing. 15+ years of practice in yoga philosophy to every day, and that’s one way she strive to build meaningful experiences.