Taliban's 90,000-Camera Surveillance of Kabul Sparks Concerns
Share You said: Please take the following news content and rewrite it to make it more unique, while covering all the key points and information, and retaining all key details and context from the original text. Enhance the text to add value, ensuring the style, tone, and presentation adhere to the highest standards of journalism, similar to that of BBC, CNN, or Al Jazeera, with clear, engaging, and professional writing in English, regardless of the language of the pasted content. If the provided content includes static information—such as steps, timetables, events, quotes, links, email addresses, or responses—include them exactly as they appear in the original, without any alteration. Do not mention any author or source website. Here is the information to use: 'Mtandao wa kamera za Taliban zinazofuatilia mamilioni ya watu nb Maelezo ya picha,Maelfu ya kamera zinatumika kufuatilia shughuli za wakaazi wa Kabul Maelezo kuhusu taarifa Author,Mahjooba Nowrouzi Nafasi,BBC Dakika 20 zilizopita Katika kituo cha kufuatilia watu, kilichojaa televisheni, jeshi la polisi la Taliban linafuatilia watu kupitia mtandao wake mpya wa kamera 90,000 za CCTV - hutazama maisha ya kila siku ya mamilioni ya watu. "Tunaufuatilia mji mzima wa Kabul kutokea hapa," anasema Khalid Zadran, msemaji wa ofisi ya mkuu wa polisi wa Taliban. Serikali inasema ufuatiliaji huo utasaidia kupambana na uhalifu, lakini wakosoaji wanahofia utatumika kuwabana wapinzani na kufuatilia kanuni kali za maadili zilizowekwa na serikali ya Kiislamu ya Taliban chini ya tafsiri yao ya sheria za Kiislamu (Sharia). Wanahabari wa BBC ndio wa kwanza wa kimataifa kuruhusiwa kuona mfumo huo na namna unavyofanya kazi. Ndani ya chumba cha ufuatiliaji, maafisa wa polisi huketi wakitazama video za moja kwa moja (mubashara) kupitia maelfu ya kamera, wakifuatilia maisha ya watu milioni sita wanaoishi Kabul. Wakitazama leseni za magari hadi sura za watu. "Tunapogundua vikundi vya watu tunaowashuku kuwa wanashiriki matumizi ya dawa za kulevya, uhalifu, au kitu cha kutiliwa shaka katika vitongoji, tunawaeleza polisi wa eneo hilo haraka," anasema Zadran. "Huenda haraka ili kuchunguza mkusanyiko huo." Chini ya serikali iliyopita, Kabul ilikumbwa na mashambulizi ya kila siku kutoka Taliban na wale wanaojiita wanamgambo wa Islamic State, pamoja na utekaji nyara na wizi wa magari. Taliban ilipochukua tena madaraka mwaka 2021, waliahidi kukabiliana na uhalifu. Idadi kubwa ya kamera za uchunguzi katika mji mkuu ni ishara ya kukua kwa mbinu za kisasa za Taliban katika kudumisha sheria na utulivu. Kabla ya kurejea kwao, kulikuwa na kamera 850 pekee katika mji mkuu, kulingana na msemaji wa vikosi vya usalama vilivyoondolewa madarakani. Hata hivyo, katika kipindi cha miaka mitatu iliyopita, serikali ya Taliban pia imeanzisha hatua kali mbali mbali zinazokiuka haki na uhuru wa watu, hasa wanawake. Serikali ya Taliban haijatambuliwa rasmi na nchi yoyote duniani. Mfumo wa ufuatiliaji ambao BBC imeonyeshwa huko Kabul unaweza kufuatilia sura za watu. Kwenye skrini moja, picha za nyuso zinaonekana huku kila uso ukionyesha makadirio ya umri, jinsia na iwapo ana ndevu au barakoa. "Katika siku ambazo hali ya hewa ni safi, tunaweza kuvuta uso wa mtu kutoka umbali wa kilomita moja," anasema Zadran. Taliban pia hufuatilia wafanyakazi wao wenyewe. Katika kituo cha ukaguzi, askari walipofungua sehemu ya nyuma ya gari kwa ukaguzi, wafuatiliaji wa kamera walizumu lenzi zao, ili kuchunguza yaliyomo ndani buti. Wizara ya mambo ya ndani inasema kamera hizo "zimechangia pakubwa katika kuimarisha usalama, kupunguza uhalifu, na kuwakamata wahalifu haraka." Kuanzishwa kwa CCTV na pikipiki za doria kumepungua viwango vya uhalifu kwa 30% kati ya 2023 na 2024, lakini ni vigumu kuthibitisha takwimu hizi kwa uhuru. Pia unaweza kusoma Kipi ni marufuku kwa wanawake na wanaume katika sheria mpya kali za Taliban? 31 Agosti 2024 Ni nini kilitokea kwa wanawake ambao waliipinga Taliban? 16 Juni 2024 Kwanini Taliban inawarudisha wanawake waliotalikiwa kwa waume zao wa zamani? 23 Agosti 2024 Ukosoaji wa hatua hii VC Maelezo ya picha,Msemaji wa Taliban Khalid Zadran anasema mfumo wa ufuatiliaji unatumika kupunguza uhalifu Hata hivyo, vikundi vya haki za binadamu vina wasi wasi kuhusu ufuatiliaji huu. Shirika la Amnesty International linasema kuweka kamera "kwa kisingizio cha 'usalama wa taifa' ni ishara ya muendelezo wa sera za kikatili za Taliban zinazokiuka haki za kimsingi za watu nchini Afghanistan - hasa wanawake katika maeneo ya umma." Kwa mujibu wa sheria za Taliban wanawake hawaruhusiwi kutoa sauti wawapo nje ya nyumba zao, ingawa kiutendaji hili halisimamiwi kwa ukali. Wasichana wanazuiwa kupata elimu ya sekondari na ya juu. Wanawake wamezuiwa kufanya nyingi ya kazi. Mwezi Desemba, wanawake wanaofunzwa kuwa wakunga na wauguzi waliiambia BBC kuwa waliamriwa kutorejea darasani. Na wanawake wanaoonekana katika mitaa ya kama Kabul, wanatakiwa
Taliban Surveillance Network Tracks Millions in Kabul
In a high-tech surveillance center filled with TV monitors, the Taliban police force is monitoring millions of residents in Kabul through an extensive network of 90,000 CCTV cameras, keeping a watchful eye on daily life.
"We are monitoring the entire city of Kabul from here," said Khalid Zadran, spokesperson for the Taliban police chief's office.
The Taliban government claims this surveillance system helps combat crime, but critics express concerns that it will be used to suppress opposition and enforce their strict moral codes, which are based on their interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.
The BBC is the first international news organization granted access to see how this surveillance network operates.
Inside the monitoring room, police officers sit watching live footage from thousands of cameras, tracking the movements of Kabul’s six million residents. From vehicle plates to facial recognition, the system tracks it all.
"When we detect groups of people suspected of drug use, criminal activities, or suspicious behavior in neighborhoods, we notify local officers immediately," said Zadran. "They respond quickly to investigate these gatherings."
Before the Taliban regained power in 2021, Kabul faced daily attacks from the Taliban and Islamic State militants, along with kidnappings and car thefts. The Taliban promised to tackle crime once they took control.
The large number of surveillance cameras in the capital reflects the Taliban's growing use of modern methods to maintain law and order. Before their return, there were only 850 cameras in Kabul, according to a spokesperson for the security forces that were ousted.
However, in the three years since their return, the Taliban has implemented numerous controversial policies, especially against women's rights. The Taliban regime is not recognized by any government worldwide.
The surveillance system, which the BBC was shown in Kabul, is capable of tracking faces. On one screen, facial images appear with estimated details such as age, gender, and whether the person has a beard or a mask.
"On clear days, we can capture a person’s face from as far as a kilometer away," said Zadran.
The Taliban also monitors their own personnel. In the inspection room, when officers open a car’s trunk for inspection, the camera operators zoom in to examine the contents closely.
The Ministry of Interior claims that these cameras have greatly contributed to enhancing security, reducing crime, and allowing for swift arrests.
With the introduction of CCTV and patrol motorcycles, crime rates have decreased by 30% between 2023 and 2024, though it's difficult to verify these statistics independently.
However, human rights groups are concerned about the implications of this surveillance. Amnesty International has criticized the widespread installation of cameras, warning that under the guise of "national security," they represent a continuation of the Taliban’s harsh policies that violate basic human rights, particularly those of women in public spaces.
Under Taliban law, women are prohibited from speaking outside their homes, although this is not always strictly enforced. Girls are banned from secondary and higher education, and women are barred from most forms of employment.
In December, women training to become midwives and nurses were told by the Taliban that they were no longer allowed to return to their classes. Women seen in public spaces, like those in Kabul’s streets, are required to cover their faces with a burqa.
Fariba, a graduate who lives with her parents in Kabul, has been unable to find work since the Taliban took control. She told the BBC that there is growing concern that these surveillance cameras will be used to monitor women's dress codes.
The Taliban asserts that only city police have access to the CCTV system, and the Ministry of Vice and Virtue manages the surveillance. However, the Ministry of Virtue’s police do not use the cameras.
Fariba remains concerned that these cameras will put anyone opposing the Taliban’s rule at greater risk.
"Many people, especially former soldiers, human rights defenders, and women activists, struggle to move around freely and often live in hiding," she said.
Human Rights Watch notes that Afghanistan lacks adequate data protection laws to regulate how CCTV footage is stored and used.
The police claim that videos are retained for only three months. According to the Ministry of the Interior, these cameras do not pose a privacy threat, as they are operated from a special, secure room, managed by a dedicated individual and expert.
The cameras are believed to be manufactured by China’s Dahua, a company linked to the Chinese government. Initial reports suggesting that the Taliban was negotiating with Huawei Technologies to purchase cameras have been denied by the company.
Taliban officials declined to comment to the BBC about the origin of the equipment.
Impact on Civilians
Some of the costs for maintaining this new surveillance network have fallen on ordinary Afghans who are being monitored by the system.
In one home in central Kabul, the BBC spoke with Shella, who was asked to pay for some of the cameras installed near her house.
The humanitarian situation in Kabul, and Afghanistan in general, remains dire after years of war. The country's economy is in tatters, and international aid funding has largely been suspended since the Taliban's return to power. According to the United Nations, 30 million people require assistance.
"If families refuse to pay for [the cameras], they are threatened with having their water and electricity cut off within three days," Shella added. "We had to take out loans to cover the costs."
"People are starving—what good are these cameras to them?" she asked.
The Taliban says that if people are unwilling to contribute, they can file a formal complaint.
"Payments are voluntary," said Khalid Zadran, the Taliban police spokesperson.
Despite this assurance, human rights advocates remain concerned about how this powerful surveillance system will be used.
Jaber, a vegetable seller in Kabul, said the cameras represent how powerless many Afghans feel.
"We’re treated like trash, denied the opportunity to make a living, and the leaders see us as worthless people," he told the BBC. "We can’t do anything."
What's Your Reaction?
