TIRANA, June 23 /ATA/ – Opposition leader Sali Berisha on Tuesday accused the government of turning Albania’s “Smart City” initiative into a surveillance system aimed at monitoring citizens, comparing it to practices used under the communist regime.
Speaking at a press conference, Democratic Party leader said the project, which he described as originally intended for urban management, had been “deformed” into a tool for control and oversight of the population.
He claimed high-resolution “intelligent” cameras had been installed across Tirana and other cities, and said the system was being administered by the State Police rather than municipal authorities, as is common in many European countries.
“In Europe, Smart City systems are entirely managed by municipalities and serve citizens,” Berisha said. “Here, cameras are used to monitor peaceful protests and citizens’ movements, and are controlled by the police.”
Berisha said the system enables real-time monitoring, licence plate recognition, tracking of movements and the collection of personal data, which he argued raised concerns over privacy and civil liberties.
He contrasted what he described as the traditional “Smart City” model – focused on traffic management, public transport, lighting, parking and municipal services – with the system implemented in Albania, which he said was primarily oriented towards security and centralised police oversight.
“In the classical model, the focus is on improving services for citizens,” he said. “Here, everything is police-controlled: surveillance, security and monitoring.”
Berisha said the system was in violation of Albania’s constitution and European Union data protection standards, and called for it to be condemned.
Reuters was not able to independently verify the claims regarding the scope or operation of the surveillance system.
/m.q/r.e/a.f/u.sh/
