Key points
- Santa Catarina put 211 facial recognition cameras into operation in 20 cities on November 12, 2026.
- The SIVI system raises real-time alerts for people with open arrest warrants and missing persons.
- The state plans 1,000 cameras in 60 municipalities; the first stage costs R$5.17 million.
- The state release does not describe privacy or oversight safeguards.
Santa Catarina, a state in southern Brazil, switched on 211 facial recognition cameras on November 12, 2026. The cameras cover 20 municipalities, including Florianópolis, Itajaí and Balneário Camboriú. The state public security secretariat (SSP-SC) announced the launch at an event marking its 91st anniversary.
How the Santa Catarina facial recognition system works
The cameras are part of the Integrated Intelligent Video Monitoring System, known as SIVI. According to the state, they combine high-resolution video, edge analytics and computer vision to raise automatic alerts in real time. The alerts are meant to help identify people with open arrest warrants and missing persons.
A modular data center, servers and switches handle image processing and retention. For background on how face recognition is used and where the limits sit, see our guide.
Scale and cost
The 211 cameras are the first stage of a larger plan. The state aims to install 1,000 cameras in 60 municipalities with populations of 26,500 or more, covering regions with more than 70% of its population. The first stage costs R$5.17 million, and the full project R$42.5 million.
Municipalities and other public bodies can join through a price registration agreement, and 53 entities had expressed interest, the state said. Vice-Governor Marilisa Boehm said the state’s safety record is the result of planning, investment and the work of its professionals.
What the release leaves out
The state’s announcement does not describe oversight, privacy or data-protection safeguards. It also does not say who operates the cameras day to day. Readers curious about how matching works against online images can compare it with face search tools.
Several questions remain open. How long will images be retained, and who reviews an alert before police act on it? How will accuracy be measured as the network grows from 211 cameras toward 1,000?
Sources
- Santa Catarina government, SSP-SC 91st anniversary release (Nov 12, 2026)
- ID Tech coverage (Nov 13, 2026)
