Moscow (AFP)

The Moscow Metro conducted a facial recognition payment demonstration on Thursday ahead of its launch on Oct. 15, the latest example of the technology's rapid and arguably controversial development in Russia.

"Passengers should not have on them either their phone, their metro card, any ticket. They will only have to put their information, their photo and their bank details in the application", explained the vice-chef. from the press service of the city transport department, Anna Lapouchkina.

In the Moscow metro, one of the busiest in Europe, payment by recognition will reduce waiting times because it is "three times faster" than traditional methods, said Ms. Lapouchkina, during a press conference where journalists were not allowed to ask questions.

Currently tested with volunteers and metro employees, the service will be open to everyone from October 15, across all 241 stations of this gigantic network inaugurated in the 1930s under Stalin.

The press service clarified that the system worked with sanitary masks, always mandatory in public transport, and that it was enough for about half of the face to be visible.

The turnstiles will only open in front of real people and not in front of photos, the source said.

The other payment methods will remain available.

Facial recognition is developing rapidly in Russia.

Since the start of the pandemic, this technology has been used in particular by the city of Moscow - and its tens of thousands of surveillance cameras - to monitor compliance with containment and quarantines.

In March, the country's leading distribution group, X5, announced the launch of this payment method in its stores.

A young woman passes through a gantry equipped with facial recognition, September 23, 2021 in Moscow Natalia KOLESNIKOVA AFP

Several Russian and international NGOs have criticized the massive use of facial recognition, pointing to abuses, data leaks and a lack of consent.

"The uncontrolled use of these technologies has serious implications for human rights and fundamental freedoms and is already being used for political persecution," Human Rights Watch said in a statement last Friday.

© 2021 AFP