UN climate talks UAE cameras : Dubai Surveillance Cameras Raise Privacy Concerns at COP28 Climate Summit

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is currently hosting the United Nations’ COP28 climate summit, but concerns have been raised about the extensive surveillance cameras present at the event. The UAE already uses facial recognition technology at Dubai International Airport, and experts believe the country has one of the highest concentrations of surveillance cameras per capita in the world. This raises worries about potential tracking and lack of civil liberty protections.

The cameras in question belong to Presight, a company associated with G42, an Abu Dhabi-based firm with alleged ties to spying and genetic material gathering for the Chinese government. The company did not respond to requests for comment. The Emirati committee organizing COP28 has stated that only the UN’s Department for Safety and Security will have access to data from security cameras in the Blue Zone, where negotiations and smaller meetings take place. However, footage from the Green Zone and the rest of the city-state remains under the control of Emirati security services.

Presight recently made a $52 million deal with Dubai Expo 2020 to install surveillance equipment at the site. The company claims its system has successfully tracked and prevented incidents during events. At COP28, several cameras bearing the G42 and Presight logos were observed at the Media Center and along the route of a protest.

Activists attending the summit have expressed concerns about the pervasive surveillance, with some flipping their ID badges or avoiding having their pictures taken. Amnesty International’s director of climate, economic, and social justice and corporate accountability described the surveillance as creating an “environment of fear and tension.” The UAE has a history of using surveillance cameras, notably in 2010 when footage was used to identify suspects in the assassination of a Hamas commander.

The UAE’s extensive surveillance capabilities have grown over the years, with partnerships formed with firms such as DarkMatter, which employed former CIA and NSA analysts. Concerns have also been raised about the UAE’s ties to China, including partnerships with BGI Group, the world’s largest genetic sequencing company.

As the COP28 climate summit continues, questions remain about the implications of the widespread surveillance in Dubai and the potential impact on privacy and civil liberties.