Originally published in The Guardian on July 6, 2026, security researcher Bruce Schneier and co-author Jon Penney argue that AI-powered surveillance combining facial recognition, data tracking, and automated enforcement is producing chilling effects that suppress dissent, creativity, and social progress. They point to China’s large-scale deployment of such systems as a preview of technology spreading globally, and call for facial recognition bans, stronger privacy protections, and regulation of invasive AI uses to prevent widespread self-censorship.
