Moscow Adopts Facial‑Recognition Payments and Delivery Robots, Expanding Surveillance

Moscow is rapidly turning into a high‑tech city, installing facial‑recognition payment systems at retail checkouts and deploying autonomous delivery robots on its sidewalks. The new conveniences streamline commerce and logistics, but they also feed an expanding network of citizen surveillance. City officials have rolled out cameras and data‑collection tools that track shoppers and pedestrians in real time, integrating them with the payment and delivery infrastructure. The result is a seamless, tech‑driven urban experience that comes with a growing footprint of monitoring. Residents and privacy advocates note that the surveillance expansion is a direct consequence of the new technology rollout, raising questions about data use and personal privacy.