Digital Big Brothers – China tripling surveillance cameras by 2020, UK and US also have mass surveillance

China had 176 million surveillance cameras in operation last year and the speed of growth is expected to see that figure more than triple to reach 626 million by 2020.

The UK is currently still considered to be the most monitored country overall, with previous research showing it had 20% of the world’s cameras for just 1% of the world’s population. In 2015, the UK had an estimated 5.9 million CCTV. In 2017, the average UK urban dweller is likely to be captured by 300 CCTV cameras a day, with the UK home to an estimated six million devices (excluding body worn video, dash-cams, helmet-cams and drones).

China is adding AI, facial and gait recognition. Beijing announced in October 2015 that it now had 100% coverage.

China CCTV market is currently worth $6.4 billion and is growing fast with a rate of 12.4% predicted through to 2021, compared to the US which has 50 million cameras and a market worth $2.9 billion growing at 0.7% annually.