An anonymous reader cites a report from 404 Media: Spread across four computer screens arranged in a grid, a blue and green interface shows the location of more than 50 different surveillance cameras. Usually, these and similar cameras can be disparate, with their feeds only available to their respective owners: a business, a government building, a resident, and their doorbell camera. But the screens, overlooking two long conference tables, bring them all together at once, allowing law enforcement to simultaneously access cameras owned by different entities throughout the city. This is a demonstration of Fusus, an AI-powered system that is quickly popping up in America’s small towns and major cities. Fusus’ product not only funnels live feeds from typically siled cameras into a central location, but also adds the ability to search for people wearing certain clothes, carrying a particular bag, or searching for a certain vehicle.
404 Media obtained a cache of internal emails, presentations, memos, photos and more that provide insight into how Fusus partners with police departments to sell its surveillance technology. Across the country, city councils are considering whether they want to have a system that qualitatively changes what surveillance cameras mean for a city’s residents and public agencies. While many embraced Fusus, others balked and refused to have the hardware and software installed in their neighborhood. In a way, Fusus is deploying smart camera technology that has historically been used in countries like South Africa, where experts have warned against creating a permanent surveillance blanket. Today, technology with some of the same capabilities is used in small American towns.
Rather than selling the cameras themselves, Fusus’ hardware and software hooks onto existing installations, which can include government-owned surveillance cameras as well as private cameras installed in businesses and homes. It turns dumb cameras into smart cameras. “Essentially, the Fusus solution places a brain in every camera connected to the system,” reads a memorandum obtained by 404 Media. In addition to integrating with existing surveillance installations, Fusus’ hardware, called SmartCORE, can turn cameras into automatic license plate readers (ALPR). It appears that it may also offer facial recognition features, although Fusus has not provided clear details on this.
The report states that the system has been adopted by many police departments across the United States, with approximately 150 jurisdictions using Fusus. Orland Park police called him “game changer“It is also used internationally, with a launch in the UK.
Here’s what Beryl Lipton, a researcher at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), had to say about it: “The lack of transparency and community conversation around Fusus exacerbates concerns about police access to the system, AI video analysis and analytics involving surveillance and crime data, which can influence patrols and officer priorities. In the absence of clear policies, auditable access logs, and transparency of community on the capabilities and costs of Fusus, any community in which this technology is adopted should be concerned about its use and abuse.”.