Special Report: India Using AI To Target Religious And Ethnic Minorities (Religion Unplugged)

By Rishabh Jain

NEW DEHLI — Authorities in the Ambala district of Haryana, some 130 miles (215 kilometers) from India’s capital New Delhi, announced in late February the start of procedures to revoke the passports and visas of people labeled as “troublemakers” who had taken part in breaking barricades or creating disruptions at the Punjab border amid the recent farmer protest.

They confirmed that the perpetrators were identified using Facial Recognition Technology, a software monitored through the use of CCTV cameras and drones. This was not the first time video technology had been used to identify people taking part in protests against the current Indian government, headed by Hindu Nationalist Narendra Modi.

In fact, a similar pattern was seen in 2020 in clashes that erupted in New Delhi, where authorities said they had utilized facial recognition technology to identify and apprehend numerous individuals.

This story was originally published in religionunplugged.com. Read the full story here.

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