The implementation of the Smart City project begins, a project that has raised alarm bells for mass surveillance in Albania.
Sources said that security cameras are being installed in several schools in Tirana and the data will be managed by the State Police.
The project is being implemented by the company "Presight Ai", part of the G42 group whose main base is in the United Arab Emirates.
This company, according to a BIRN investigation, has raised concerns in the United States Congress about its Chinese connections. The project is also contested by digital rights experts for the risks it poses from the major intrusion into citizens' privacy.
"Through the use of Artificial Intelligence and Data Analysis Systems, the 'Smart City' project aims to increase urban efficiency and sustainability, improve public safety by preventing and documenting criminal offenses through technological investments and community education," the Ministry first stated at the time.
The project was initially thought to cost 60 million US dollars, but later its cost doubled.
