Ukraine plans to introduce a system of total surveillance over citizens

The system will be owned and managed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Photo: budport

A bill proposing the introduction of a system of total video monitoring of public safety in Ukraine has been added to the agenda of the Verkhovna Rada. According to the sknews website, the initiative provides for the installation of surveillance cameras almost everywhere, except inside citizens' homes.

The bill is under review by the Verkhovna Rada's Committee on Law Enforcement. The Center for Joint Action, which analyzed the draft law, believes that this decision could introduce total state control.

"This bill primarily threatens the rollback of democracy, as it dangerously expands the influence of the Ministry of Internal Affairs over society. The ministry will have access to the most sensitive data on every citizen. If this initiative is implemented, Ukraine risks becoming a police state," warns Iryna Korzhenkova, an analyst at the Center for Joint Action.

The new legislative initiative proposes introducing a comprehensive video surveillance system allegedly to ensure public safety. Citizens and their vehicles will be monitored in public spaces, including businesses, educational institutions, and medical facilities. Essentially, surveillance will begin right outside the home.

The cameras will automatically record video and audio. They will also be equipped with facial recognition technology and access to various state registers. This will allow personal data of citizens to be automatically retrieved in real time. The system will be owned and managed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Operators of the system will have access to the following personal data: digitized facial images; name, date, and place of birth; gender; information about residence and citizenship; taxpayer identification number or passport series and number.

This information will be stored for 15 years. Citizens will be able to view the information about themselves in the system but will not be able to request its deletion. Importantly, this system is not a temporary measure during martial law but is planned as a permanent one.

"When the state has access to vast amounts of data on citizens' behavior, it can use this information for manipulation, discrimination, and repression. This creates a society where everyone is afraid to speak out against the government," notes Korzhenkova.

Experts at the Center for Joint Action emphasize that video surveillance itself is not bad, but the proposed system is too extensive and unaccountable to anyone. It will allow law enforcement agencies to monitor any person anywhere, which is especially dangerous for government critics, opposition members, and journalists.

As previously reported by the UOJ, Ukraine ranked first in the world in mortality and last in birthrate, according to the latest data from the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States.

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