Presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro (PL)'s proposal to build a national surveillance system with facial recognition and 1 million cameras faces practical obstacles and doubts about its effectiveness, according to an analysis published by Folha de S.Paulo on Sunday (18). The plan is part of the government program filed with the TSE, Brazil's electoral court, and of the senator's TV ads, which cite as inspiration Smart Sampa, run by the São Paulo city hall, and Muralha Paulista, run by the São Paulo state government. Campaign material calls for cameras at ports, airports and public areas, linked to criminal databases.
The proposal lands in a country that is already multiplying such initiatives. According to a survey by the Panóptico project, run by Cesec (Center for Security and Citizenship Studies), there are 596 active programs of video monitoring with facial recognition in Brazil. They potentially reach almost 100 million people, or 46.6% of the population, and add up to R$ 3.4 billion (about US$ 630 million) in costs over seven years. More than 70% of the initiatives do not disclose how much they spend.
Experts interviewed by Folha say expansion runs into unequal regional realities. Technological capacity, data collection standards and the training of police officers and municipal guards vary from state to state. Researchers also say the technology lacks scientific proof that it reduces crime rates, and that the programs carry risks of security breaches and misuse of citizens' data.
On the trail, the plan is treated as a simple fix
Among those involved in drafting the plan, the tone is different. On Tuesday (13), São Paulo mayor Ricardo Nunes (MDB) defended the proposal during the announcement that 17 state branches of the MDB would back Flávio in the runoff, according to Poder360. Nunes cited results from Smart Sampa, created by his administration:
"Smart Sampa, in a short time, has already put 3,700 fugitives behind bars here in the city of São Paulo alone, not counting 6,500 people caught in the act, not counting the almost 4,000 stolen cars and motorcycles we recovered, because the cameras read the plates. And Flávio will build Smart Brasil with 2 million cameras," Nunes said.
The number cited by the mayor differs from campaign material, which mentions 1 million cameras. For those who helped draft the plan, Smart Brasil is a simple technological solution with no reason for resistance from states and municipalities, according to Folha. Integration, however, would depend on those governments, which hold most public safety responsibilities in Brazil and now run programs with their own standards and budgets.
The proposal's fate will be decided at the ballot box. Flávio faces President Lula (PT) in the October 25 runoff, one week away. If elected, the senator would have to build a national system on top of a base of 596 local programs with different rules, according to the Cesec survey.