News

North Korea Is Buying Chinese Surveillance Cameras In A Push To Tighten Control, Report Says

Published

7 months ago

2024-04-16

Kiara Grace

SEOUL, South Korea —According to a report released Tuesday, North Korea is installing surveillance cameras in schools and workplaces and collecting fingerprints, pictures, and other biometric information from its inhabitants as part of a technology-driven effort to further monitor its populace.

According to the researchers, the state’s increasing use of digital surveillance tools, which combine equipment imported from China with domestically developed software, threatens to erase many of the small spaces left for North Koreans to engage in private business activities, access foreign media, and secretly criticize their government.

North Korea Is Buying Chinese Surveillance Cameras In A Push To Tighten Control, Report Says

However, more electricity and better network access are necessary to advance the remote nation’s digital goals. According to the research released by the North Korea-focused website 38 North, these limitations, as well as a history of relying on human techniques to spy on its inhabitants, mean that digital surveillance is less widespread than in China.

The study’s findings are consistent with commonly held beliefs that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is increasing attempts to tighten state control over its populace and foster loyalty to his rule.

The COVID-19 pandemic bolstered these efforts, as the North implemented severe border controls that were maintained for three years before a cautious reopening in 2023.

Walls and electronic monitoring tools put up along the border with China during the outbreak are most likely helping the government crack down on foreign influence and imported media. New legislation and recent reports of harsher punishments indicate this.

“After seeing that it is possible to close the border so tightly, I believe they are now eager to keep it that way,” said Martyn Williams, an analyst who co-authored the report with Natalia Slavney.

The pandemic might have contributed to increased surveillance across the nation, but Williams believes that the rapidly falling cost of surveillance technology has played a much larger role.

The analysis evaluated North Korean surveillance technologies using information from local and foreign media coverage and publicly disclosed research at North Korean universities and governmental institutions. The researchers also stated that they interviewed 40 North Korean escapees about the surveillance they faced while living in the country and, through unspecified partners, surveyed 100 current North Korean residents in 2023 via phone, text messages, and other encrypted communication methods to ensure their safety.

North Korea Is Buying Chinese Surveillance Cameras In A Push To Tighten Control, Report Says

According to state media sources, video surveillance is increasingly ubiquitous in schools, businesses, and airports. The cameras are primarily purchased from Chinese manufacturers, ranging from simple video feeds to more complex versions with features such as facial recognition.

Experts have cautioned that China is selling the technology behind its AI-powered spying to other countries.

According to North Korean state media, cameras are now installed in most schools in the capital, Pyongyang, and other major cities. These cameras allow school staff to remotely monitor classroom activities by panning and zooming in on individual pupils or teachers.

Cameras are also widely utilized in factories, government buildings, and other workplaces to boost security and prevent theft, and facial recognition systems have been used to record visitors to Pyongyang’s Sunan airport since 2019.

According to the report, North Korea has also been expanding its traffic camera network beyond Pyongyang since 2021, deploying them on main routes leading into and out of the city, most likely to automatically record license plates.

The government may still need to fully utilize the data it collects, and it currently lacks an extensive network of security cameras in streets and residential areas, possibly due to power outages and many security agents already monitoring public life in Pyongyang and elsewhere.

However, North Korea appears to anticipate a future of more widespread video surveillance. According to the article, North Korean colleges and research institutions have spent years developing technologies for movement detection, facial recognition, and license plate identification.

Meanwhile, the state is creating complete biometric profiles for its inhabitants. The most recent edition of North Korean national identity cards is in a smartcard format and requires residents to supply fingerprints, facial pictures, and, according to one account, a blood test.

“For North Koreans, the development of CCTV means increased surveillance of their lives, especially if the cameras have automatic detecting systems. Citizens participating in illegal activities would be particularly vulnerable if such cameras become more widely deployed, as facial recognition could monitor their movements around cities,” Williams and Slavney stated.

North Korea Is Buying Chinese Surveillance Cameras In A Push To Tighten Control, Report Says

“At present, North Koreans who get caught in activities such as smuggling or distributing illegally imported goods and foreign content can bribe local security services, but, unlike humans, security cameras cannot be bribed,” the officials stated.

According to Williams, the government will try to expand its monitoring network beyond large cities as infrastructure improves. He said exploiting massive volumes of video data would still be difficult, but North Korea may learn from the neighboring surveillance state.

The most significant challenge is the computational infrastructure required to process all this data in real time. Doing so on a national or even provincial scale is difficult if the network is to be truly widespread and include many cameras,” Williams added. The country would have to construct a tiny data center and ensure a steady electricity supply. Itina can influence it, as it has a much more Orwellian digital monitoring network despite being a rather free society in general.

SOURCE – (AP)

News

Trudeau Rocks to Taylor Swift While Montreal Burns

Published

1 day ago

2024-11-24

Geoff Brown

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has come under fire yet again after a video surfaced on X, showing him dancing at a Taylor Swift performance while anti-Nato protestors ransacked downtown Montreal.

Trudeau attended Taylor Swift’s concert in Toronto on Friday night. Before Taylor Swift approached the stage, X shared a viral video of him dancing and singing along to the song “You Don’t Own Me.”

The image of Trudeau dancing amid violent protests in Montreal generated widespread indignation online. Some social media users even compared Trudeau to the ancient Roman dictator Nero, known for “fiddling while Rome burned.”

Don Stewart, a Member of Parliament (MP) representing part of Toronto, called out the prime minister in a post on X.

Lawless protestors run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest.

The Prime Minister dances.

This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.

Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved. pic.twitter.com/PVJvR6gtmf

— Don Stewart (@donstewartmp) November 23, 2024

“Lawless protesters run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest. The Prime Minister dances,” Stewart wrote. “This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.”

“Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved,” the MP added.

On Saturday, the day after Taylor Swift’s concert, Trudeau condemned the anti-NATO protests, calling them “appalling.”

Anti-NATO activists set off smoke bombs and marched through Montreal’s streets waving Palestinian flags. According to the Montreal Gazette, rioters set fire to automobiles and battled with police.

Pro-Palestinian protests

Protesters also tossed tiny explosives and metal objects at officers. At one point, the mob torched an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the gathering, and three persons were arrested for attacking officers and impeding police operations.

Masked protesters were seen burning flares and bashing storefront windows in videos and photographs shared on social media. Pro-Palestinian protests have been taking place across Canada since the Israel-Gaza conflict began late last year.

Critics have lambasted Trudeau for doing nothing to stop the violent pro-Palestinian marches, with some claiming he has fueled anti-Israel sentiment in Canada.

On Friday, Trudeau stated that Canada would respect the orders of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant for Mr Netanyahu, even if it meant arresting the Israeli prime leader on Canadian soil.

Trudeau Called the Greatest Threat to NATO

Trudeau Called the Greatest Threat to NATO

News

Calgary Zoo Admits Human Error in Death of Baby Gorilla

Published

1 day ago

2024-11-24

Geoff Brown

The zookeeper's negligence caused the death of a 2-year-old baby gorilla

The Calgary Zoo has admitted in a public statement that a zookeeper’s negligence caused the death of a 2-year-old baby gorilla. Eyare, a newborn gorilla, died last week after being slammed in the head by a hydraulic door.

The accident occurred when a zoo worker attempted to separate Eyare from the rest of the gorilla tribe for a solitary training session.

The gorilla died from significant head injuries, according to the zoo’s statement.

“This tragedy has struck us all in the deepest way imaginable,” Colleen Baird, director of animal care at the Calgary Zoo, said during a news conference. “Eyare’s brief but meaningful existence gave so much joy to our community, and all will sorely miss her. We will do everything possible to prevent repeat accidents.”

According to Baird, the staff member involved was immediately removed from the workplace and will be reassigned to another area of the zoo. The Calgary Zoo stated that it would take preventive steps, such as specialist personnel training and animal behavioral training, to avoid a similar incident.

Calgary Zoo Questioned

It is not the first time an animal at the zoo has died from negligence at the Calgary Zoo. A capybara was accidentally crushed by a hydraulic door similar to the one that killed Eyare in 2019.

An otter died in 2016 after being entangled in an “unauthorized” pair of jeans that a zookeeper had dropped in its enclosure. In 2013, a penguin died in “a freak accident” after swallowing a stick.

Animal Justice, a Canadian group that promotes animal welfare, has called for an independent investigation of animal safety and oversight at the Alberta facility.

“The Calgary Zoo appears to have a higher rate of animal deaths compared to other zoos, and in light of Eyare’s death there should be a systematic review of the zoo’s operations and practices, conducted transparently by the government or another outside party,” according to Camille Labchuk, the executive director of Animal Justice.

The Calgary Zoo refuted that it has more animal deaths than other zoos, emphasizing that it adheres to operating requirements and has maintained accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ independent Accreditation Commission since 1978.

“We love and care for more than 4,000 animals representing over 100 species that call our zoo home,” stated a Calgary Zoo representative.

“Human error-related deaths in animals are quite infrequent. We have lost two animals in the last ten years: a North American river otter in 2016 and ‘Eyare’ this week.

While rare, even one human-caused death is too many. These unfortunate instances have served as vital learning experiences, prompting us to examine and tighten protocols to provide the greatest level of care.”

Baird said at the news conference that using hydraulic doors is “common practice with accredited zoos,” adding that the facility will consider switching to alternate doors to improve safety.

The Calgary Zoo, which established the Wilder Institute in 2021, caters to nearly 4,000 creatures, including six more western lowland gorillas.

Beluga Whales Dies at Canada’s Marineland

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News

Canada’s Lotto Max Jackpot Climbs to $80M

Published

1 day ago

2024-11-24

Geoff Brown

Lotto Max in Canada has reached $80 million for only the second time in Canadian lottery history. Friday’s draw sought a winner for a $75 million pool, but the top reward remained unclaimed as of Saturday, increasing the jackpot.

Only once did the jackpot reach $80 million in September, when it broke the previous record. Before that, the prize was $75 million, a record.

The Lotto Max prize maximum was boosted earlier this year, enabling for jackpots of more than $70 million. The cap is now at $80 million.
While a greater fee may encourage more people to play, the odds of winning the lottery remain extremely low.

According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, the odds for a $5 ticket are around one in 33,294,800.

While there was no jackpot winner in Friday’s draw, someone did match six of the seven winning numbers, plus a bonus, earning them a payout of more than $320,000.

Lotto Max History

Lotto Max is one of three national lottery games in Canada, overseen by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation. The game was introduced on September 19, 2009, and its inaugural draw occurred on September 25, 2009. It replaced Lotto Super 7.

The odds of winning the Lotto Max are 1 in 33,294,800. This is correct to a point but misleading.

Let’s have a look at the rules:

Players choose 7 numbers out of 50
Numbers cannot be repeated
Numbers are automatically sorted into ascending order
Each play buys 3 lines
Each play costs $5

Seeing that players choose 7 out of 50 non-repeating numbers, the equation for the total number of possible combinations (this is different from permutations where the order in which the numbers appear is significant) when playing the Lotto Max is 50! / (7! x 43!)