To ensure Singaporeans do not protest on the streets, the Singapore government will be installing more than 100,000 surveillance cameras on street lamps. Government technology division, GovTech, told state media Straits Times that a trial will be conducted at the one-north business park in Buona Vista and Geylang next year:
“Government agencies can increase their situational awareness, detect potential problems and respond quickly to incidents, such as unruly crowds, train breakdowns or traffic congestion… The trial aims to assess how we can make use of existing public infrastructure such as lamp posts to fit, connect and power various kinds of sensors that can help us improve the living environment. GovTech will draw lessons and insights from the trial before deciding on plans to scale up implementation.”
Like the Singapore Prison, the new sensors will be able to record and analyse crowd behaviour and even an individual’s face, race, gender and age. Those riding on a bicycle faster than 15km/hr will be automatically reported to the police.
According to Straits, Times, GovTech had arranged a private tender meeting with interested contractors.
The nation-wide surveillance project known as Smart Nation Sensor Platform, will give the dictatorship access to every street data, let them conduct a range of surveillance activities like clamping down on political activities or monitoring anti-government critics and activists.