Moscow Cops Sell Access to City CCTV, Facial Recognition Data
Investigative media outlet MBKh Media found that access to [the citywide CCTV camera system] and the live streams is being sold on underground forums and chat rooms.
Andrey Kaganskikh, the journalist that did the investigation says that the sellers are law enforcement individuals as well as government bureaucrats that can log into the Integrated Center for Data Processing and Storage (YTKD), the very system that keeps the data from cameras in Moscow.
Whoever wants to check the live stream from a camera receives a unique link to the City CCTV System that connects to all public cameras in Moscow. The URL works for five days, Kaganskikh says.
This is the same period mentioned on the city's CCTV section for storing footage from crowded places, shops, and courtyards. Data from educational organizations is saved for 30 days.
Furthermore, government officials or police officers sell their login credentials to the system to provide unlimited access to all cameras. The price of admission is 30,000 rubles ($470), according to Kaganskikh.
Apparently "restricted access" means restricted to those who can pay for it.
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(Score: 3, Informative) by Freeman on Wednesday December 11 2019, @10:50PM (2 children)
#1 Become a Russian Citizen
#2 Go to Russian School
#3 Train as Police Officer for Glorious Mother Russia!
#4 ??!? (Apparently, this otherwise obscure step, is sell secure access to all Russian CCTVs)
#5 Profit! err.. Success!
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 3, Insightful) by anubi on Thursday December 12 2019, @12:05AM (1 child)
1) Get into politics.
2) Promise the electorate you will fight for them.
3) Get power to compel other people.
4) Sell that power to the highest bidder.
5) Profit.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 5, Funny) by hendrikboom on Thursday December 12 2019, @01:31AM
Just to explain to those who don't know five-century-old English;
The meaning of "prove" in the signature above is "test". As a mathematician, I found this biblical verse quite puzzling until I learned this.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by legont on Thursday December 12 2019, @01:09AM (4 children)
According to Russian law, anybody can have access to CCTV, government and private. However, it has to be related to a specific incident.
For example, if one walks to his car and sees a scratch, he can look around and request video from all the cameras in the area. The law guarantees the access.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 12 2019, @02:52AM
Aw, you busted a good anti-Russian narrative.
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Thursday December 12 2019, @04:02AM (2 children)
But can you be charged for access, and who is pocketing the money here?
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 2) by legont on Thursday December 12 2019, @04:15AM (1 child)
Somebody probably makes some cash selling unrestricted access. Like wanna see what your women did last night...
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 2) by NateMich on Thursday December 12 2019, @05:38AM
And if you do have multiple women, they might also be interested in what you were doing last night.