Many companies are eager to sell their technology to the world as governments around the world continue to battle Covid-19.
Apart from geolocation tracking and face recognition tools, some vendors of surveillance
surveillance equipment are advocating for the use of thermal cameras that would supposedly detect people who may be infected with the virus and walking around with a fever.
The debate among public members is that, thermal cameras are still surveillance cameras, imagine building a future where public squares and sidewalks filled with constant video surveillance. Especially if the tools are not accurate enough in detecting symptoms like fever.
Similarly, in San Franciso, wearable rings are used to monitor the temperature of health workers treating COVID-19 patients, to alert them immediately once any symptoms start developing. While there is a privacy risk of who is able to access this data and what data is exactly collected.
However, many felt the thermal camera poses a greater risk than any of these focuses equipment since it constantly surveillances the public.
At the end of the day, is having thermal cameras a great addition in aiding to tackle the pandemic?
