Nov.13, 2021, Shinjuku action

NOV.13, 2021, SHINJUKU ACTION

On Saturday, November 13, in protest against the installation of face-recognition surveillance cameras by JR East, the “Don’t Steal Our Faces! Give me back my face! anti-surveillance camera Shinjuku action was held.

Biometric data such as face data is the ultimate personal information for us. When it is converted into data and linked to various databases, even if we use the station with the intention of remaining “anonymous,” it is not impossible for them to know who we are, and even to track our behavior. Moreover, if such data is linked to SUICA and other systems such as the My Number Card, which the government is working hard to spread, our basic human rights, including the right to privacy, will become increasingly untenable.

We checked again the status of surveillance cameras at Shinjuku Station. The number of cameras installed seems to be enormous. There are many cameras crowded in the same place, monitoring our activities. There is almost no place where the cameras can have a blind spot. In addition, some cameras have a small or no indication on the camera itself that the surveillance camera is in operation, which should be mandatory. Even though surveillance and security cameras have become a “normal” part of our daily lives, the number of these cameras is just abnormal.