What might have sounded like a dystopian scenario at the start of the year could become reality in Moscow very soon. Under a proposed system to fight the spread of the coronavirus, every trip outside — from buying essentials to walking the dog — will have to be approved in advance by the authorities.
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Sunday announced a so-called “smart control system” under which Muscovites’ home addresses and pictures will be stored in a centralized database that police will have access to. From this cache, city authorities will automatically issue QR passes – special barcodes that can be scanned by devices like smartphones.
So far, details of how the scheme will be implemented and work are sketchy, and the plans have attracted criticism from technical experts and human rights activists alike.
Technical experts and human rights activists challenge Moscow city’s QR coronavirus quarantine plansRead More
