Hong Kong police have announced plans to activate facial recognition capabilities across their SmartView surveillance network by the end of 2025, adding AI-powered identity detection to thousands of closed-circuit cameras citywide. The rollout represents a major expansion of the city’s monitoring infrastructure and reflects ongoing investments in public security technology.
Facial Recognition Deployment and Network Growth
Senior Superintendent Eric Leung of the Operations Wing confirmed that 3,162 cameras are already installed across Hong Kong as of July 2025. Many of these units are equipped with facial recognition hardware, with full functionality pending completion of the police department’s backend systems. “We are identifying what the strategic locations we need to install [the cameras at]… When our backend is ready, then facial recognition can be activated,” Leung told reporters.
The system will allow police to search across the surveillance network for specific individuals. “If there is a suspect or if there is a high-risk missing person, you can input that data into a system, and ask the system if any camera captures that person, to alert the investigation officers,” Leung explained. The SmartView program aims to expand the network to 7,000 camera sets by 2027, with 4,000 additional units scheduled to be deployed within the next two years.
Integration and Oversight Challenges
Authorities are also working to integrate surveillance feeds from several government departments, including Transport, Housing, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), and the MTR Corporation. Police estimate that full technical integration of these feeds may take two to three years.
In addition to government-operated systems, police are pursuing access to private-sector surveillance footage, including video from shopping centers, commercial buildings, and industrial zones. While such partnerships remain under discussion, Leung expressed confidence that support from private entities will materialize as the project progresses.
The facial recognition rollout comes amid heightened scrutiny of AI surveillance tools across the Asia-Pacific region. A recent report by the Lowy Institute highlighted governance and transparency gaps in biometric deployments. In response to such concerns, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Security, Chris Tang, has pledged to implement “strict guidelines” to protect personal data and privacy, though the full scope of these safeguards has not yet been publicly detailed.
While Hong Kong’s expansion of AI surveillance follows a broader global trend, available statistics suggest lower per capita coverage than some other major cities. According to Comparitech’s 2024 analysis, Taiyuan, China leads globally with approximately 119 cameras per 1,000 people.
Sources: South China Morning Post, RTHK, Hong Kong Free Press
–
By Ji-seo Kim
