A BBC correspondent was spotted by China's surveillance program for public security, the Skynet Project, just seven minutes after he "escaped" during a test in Guiyang City in Guizhou Province, southwest China, on Sunday.
In the test at the public security center, Guiyang police first took a mugshot of correspondent John Sudworth who then put his "escape plan" into motion.
John was going to the city center of Guiyang and headed for the railway station. On his way to the station, he passed by several surveillance cameras on a footbridge.
BBC Photo
After he passed through the security check in the station hall, several police targeted him from behind and the security center matched the image collected at the station with the mugshot stored in the Skynet Project.
BBC Photo
The project is a real-time pedestrian detection and recognition system, which can read faces, gender, age and even ethnicity. According to a surveillance camera producer, the technology, which has racked up sales of one million cameras, can even match every face with an ID card, and trace back people's movements within one week.
Such an advanced and sophisticated system would be expected to incur public concerns over privacy.
The Guiyang police explained that police officers will use the system when people are in need of help.
"If you don't have anything to hide from, there is no need to worry," Sudworth said.
China has about 20 million surveillance cameras which are used to maintain public security and help police track fugitives, according to a China Central Television documentary on society safety.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Iga Swiatek was given extra security protection at the Miami Open after being verbally attacked during a practice session by a man who had sent the five-time Grand Slam champion harassing messages via social media.
“We monitor the network to catch these types of issues. Constructive criticism is one thing, and threats, hate speech or even disturbance during training is another — this cannot be condoned,” a statement from Swiatek's team said Wednesday. “We reported the matter to the tournament organizer, as well as to the WTA ... which reacted immediately and took additional precautions, such as additional security, for which we are very grateful.”
The episode — first reported by BBC Sport — comes a little more than a month after a stalker was removed from a match being played by 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu in Dubai.
“Ensuring the safety of the players is crucial — they are the ones at the center of the event — and it is our job to protect them,” the statement from Swiatek's team said.
The No. 2-seeded Swiatek lost to wild card Alexandra Eala in the quarterfinals Wednesday. Asked afterward whether the security situation disrupted her match preparation, Swiatek replied: “No, I wouldn't say so.”
“Player safety is our top priority. The WTA works closely with tournaments and their security teams on best practices for international sporting events to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants. There are comprehensive security protocols in place to make sure that any incidents are handled promptly and effectively," the WTA said. "The details of these are not something we discuss publicly, but we are steadfast in our commitment to maintaining a safe environment for players and everyone attending one of our events.”
The Miami Open issued a statement saying: “We take the safety and security of all players and tournament attendees extremely seriously. We constantly evaluate any potential threats and take every measure to respond appropriately. To ensure the effectiveness of these efforts, we do not disclose the details of our security operations.”
At the Dubai Championships last month, Raducanu said, she could barely breathe and her eyes filled with tears when a stalker who had approached her earlier in the tournament was in the stands during her match.
Raducanu spoke to the chair umpire, and the man was ejected from the court and later detained by police.
In 2022, an obsessive fan was given a restraining order after going to Raducanu's home three times.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Iga Swiatek, of Poland, serves to Caroline Garcia, of France, during the Miami Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Iga Swiatek, of Poland, hits a return to Caroline Garcia, of France, during the Miami Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
