The city of Bucheon, South Korea, sparked controversy with a pilot project to use AI-based facial recognition technology and surveillance cameras for contact tracing of COVID-19 patients. 

The system, funded by the Ministry of Science ICT and the local government, used AI-powered algorithms to analyse footage from over 10,000 security cameras and could track an infected person’s movements, their close contacts, and whether they were wearing a mask. 

The system aimed to reduce the time and resources needed for contact tracing. 

The programme prompted digital rights and privacy experts to express concerns that sensitive personal data was being shared with the unnamed private company building the datasets and developing the algorithm without first obtaining permission from the people appearing in the CCTV footage. 

Some also expressed fears that the system might be used for undeclared purposes.