The technology festival in Hanover is one of the largest in the world. And probably the largest in Europe. It plays the role that the legendary “Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations” had at Crystal Palace in London in 1851. With one huge difference: such kinds of “armed parades” of capitalism’s technological capabilities now happen frequently, continuously, even digitally only.
This year’s festival placed particular emphasis on security: from “anti-terrorism” applications to protection against hacking. Basic knowledge of how capitalism works, secure or insecure, would indicate the ideological nature of the matter: no one will ever be completely safe (unless they have a lot of money), for the simple reason that “security” must be constantly sold, increasingly upgraded. And this trade requires mass promotion of “insecurity.”
One of the exhibits, however, was a Japanese-origin facial recognition application designed for crowds. An application that works with standard security cameras, captures faces en masse, “tracks” them while moving, until, through facial databases, it identifies whether there is someone “dangerous.” Or whatever else.
It is the work that thugs used to do, but now it is (or appears) impossible for them to undertake it alone. They simply need to convince the secret services too: to abandon the stay in front plan, that is, the organization of killings in the streets.
This shows that it will be delayed… In the end, as happened in Marseille, the “authorities” will be forced to hide what the security cameras “collected” with smart programs…