Key points
- Hong Kong police said they will switch on AI facial recognition on the SmartView CCTV network this month.
- The system will support retrospective footage searches and real-time alerts for missing people.
- Phase 1 added more than 10,000 cameras; police aim for about 60,000 by 2028.
- Police said use is limited to statutory purposes and that a privacy impact assessment was carried out.
Hong Kong police said they will turn on AI facial recognition across their CCTV network this month. The announcement was made at a police briefing on November 6, 2026, according to The Standard. It is the first time Hong Kong facial recognition will run on the force’s SmartView cameras.
Senior Superintendent Eric Leung Ming-leung of the Operations Bureau said manual tracking across footage takes heavy manpower and time. He said the technology would cut the time officers spend reviewing video. Police said the goals are detecting crime and finding missing people, including elderly people with dementia.
How the system will work
Police described two uses. In a retrospective search, officers who hold a suspect’s facial features check recorded footage for matches. In real-time tracking, a relative of a missing person supplies a recent photo and an alert triggers if the person appears on camera. Superintendent Cheng Wai-man said recognition will not run on every camera because of computing limits, and resources will be focused on selected cameras.
Network size and private cameras
Police said the first phase of SmartView is complete, with more than 10,000 cameras installed in high-crime and high-footfall areas. The second phase aims to add 20,000 cameras a year, reaching about 60,000 by 2028. Police are also in talks with shopping malls and other private operators about linking their cameras, with at least four malls expected in a first batch by the end of the year.
Safeguards police cited
Police said use is restricted to statutory purposes, including national security, crime prevention and detection, and public order and safety. Officers must pass two internal tests before accessing footage, and the cameras cover public places only. Police said the procedures draw on an independent privacy impact assessment and consultation with the Privacy Commissioner, as described on the SmartView page of the Hong Kong Police Force.
Reports on retention differed in detail. Police said facial recognition data will be kept longer than the usual 30-day period for footage, and other media reported a figure of up to 180 days.
Open questions
How long will match data be stored, and who audits access? How will private mall operators and the police share responsibility for the footage? Readers can compare this rollout with other CCTV deployments in our guides on CCTV face recognition and how face recognition is used.
