Keeping an eye on everyone and everywhere: new measures have been introduced to control Russians on the roads

Irina Mishina

Disputes about noise meters and the law that allows you to fine for exceeding noise on the roads are not the first day. Now there are versions that they will also be endowed with a listening function.

Sound penalty

According to Deputy Yelena Shuvalova, the noise meters that the authorities plan to install in Moscow will be listening to citizens. In her opinion, these devices "will track you and your families". The deputy believes that the new video surveillance systems are equipped not only with the face recognition function, but also with the ability to recognize voices.

The editors contacted Yelena Anatolyevna, and she told us the following: "It is not known what functions will be incorporated in these noise meters. Will they listen to what is happening in the car or not? What will be put into these devices, no one explains. I am sure that in the future they will have a voice recognition and listening function".

To begin with, let's explain the details of the law. As you know, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has submitted to the capital's parliament a package of amendments aimed at strengthening responsibility for the violation of silence by motorists and motorcyclists. The deputies of the Moscow City Duma supported the mayor's initiative and considered changes to the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation.

In this law, the amount of the fine has been increased 10 times – from 500 to 5000 rubles. And this is the very minimum: if the engine power of a passenger car exceeds 200 horsepower, then 250 rubles will be added to the fine for every 10 hp over this value. For example, the owner of a sports car with a capacity of 400 hp will have to pay 10,000 rubles already. In addition, it is proposed to legislate the possibility of fixing violations of the noise level of vehicles with the help of special technical means combined with means of photo-video recording.

Disputes began around them. Who and what will they be watching?

"To begin with, there are no such devices for today. There are some developments where a directional microphone is combined with a camera. As far as I know, there are prototypes. Such a device cannot listen to conversations in the cabin, because it has a directional action. It measures noise from the outside. Another thing bothers me: the Administrative Code prescribes a maximum fine for traffic violations up to 5 thousand rubles, and here it is possible to fine up to 10 thousand rubles and above. To associate the noise from the technical means with the power of the motor is ridiculous. I am in favor of punishment for noise, but without linking it to the power of the vehicle", - explained Igor Morzharetto, an auto expert, radio host, to NI.

The fines will primarily affect citizens in whose cars or motor vehicles the exhaust systems of engines are completely or partially dismantled or modified in an unspecified way, which leads to an increased noise level. Simply put, the law is aimed at those "frostbitten" drivers who manage to leave entire areas of the city without sleep and rest, especially at night.

But auto experts have other questions about this law. For example, how the noise meter will work, where it will be installed and who will process the data in what way.

"There really is a problem with the noise of cars and motorcycles. One of the reasons is the installation of so-called "direct currents" by making changes to the design of the vehicle. But in this case, the traffic police should work: establish the fact of making changes to the design, entailing excess noise, issue a fine, issue an order to eliminate illegal changes. If the order is not fulfilled – remove from registration, send to the impound lot. But now there is an acute shortage of traffic police officers. The authorities are trying to solve this problem by installing automatic cameras, in the case of noise measurement - with microphones. It is known that the noise strength is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source.  It is clear that the noise level at a distance of a meter is one, at a distance of 10 meters is another. Therefore, it is important at what distance this noise will be measured", - says auto expert, an independent member of the Working Group on the development of GOST standards for auto-fixing complexes Grigory Shukhman.

Experts also pay attention to a lot of overlays in the automatic fixation of traffic rules. Now there are a lot of false fines for not wearing a seat belt and talking on the phone while driving, because cameras, for example, do not fix a dark belt on dark clothes, and in the case of a phone, they simply fix the position of the hand. There may also be a catch with noise. For example, a noise source is recorded, several cars are driving. How to determine which of them is causing increased noise? The camera should identify the source of the noise, and then the inspector should examine the vehicle.

"This function cannot be started automatically.  It is necessary for an inspector to stand and record each individual case. It is necessary to work on the ground. And the police should be involved in this. The noise meter also requires certification. And most likely they will issue 1 device for 20 patrols. And we have the inevitability of punishment… The reason for the introduction of noise meters is that there is no one to control on earth, they are trying to shift everything to automation. Automation is not impartial, it is indifferent. That is, there was a mistake or not - it does not matter for the complex", - says auto expert, an independent member of the Working Group on the development of GOST standards for auto-fixing complexes Grigory Shukhman.

"There is no one to work on earth", - confirms FSB Major General Alexander Mikhailov. – In some regions of the federation, the traffic police have a set of only 50%. Why go far, there are only 4 traffic police patrols in Solnechnogorsk. And cameras and noise meters can really lead to a large number of unmotivated fines, and considerable ones".

What can a camera and a noise meter do

So what about wiretapping people? Moscow City Duma deputy Yelena Shuvalova reports: "Already now I am receiving appeals about the unauthorized installation of video cameras on the streets under the guise of video cameras of the Moscow Government. Even now, dishonest people have begun to trace other people in such a manner, and, perhaps, blackmail them. Now they want to give the opportunity to listen as well!" As Alexander Ivanov, an employee of the group of companies responsible for the Gulfstream security systems, explained to us, the video recording system can record a person's speech in a room in such a way that it can then be recognized.
But on the street, especially on the highway, is a controversial issue. "Most likely he won't be able to", - the employee explained.

Other security companies claim that today neither in Moscow nor in any other Russian city there are no video surveillance systems that are equipped with powerful microphones capable of recording high-quality sound of human speech on the street in such a way that it can be used to collect compromising material. Even if the video camera is equipped with a microphone, it will be extremely difficult to make out the speech on the audio recording. "A street camera with a microphone recognizes only the loudest sounds, with an off-scale decibel level like the roar of music, the roaring motor of a car or motorcycle," explained "NI" in the CHOP "Lord".

Under the gun – taxi passengers

As for the fact of eavesdropping on people using noise meters, we have not found enough hard facts and data to prove it. But it will now be quite possible to get all the data about taxi passengers. The FSB can get access to geolocation and payment data of taxi passengers without a court decision. The draft resolution, which was developed by the special services, has been published on the portal of regulatory legal acts. It follows from it that taxi aggregators will be required to provide round-the-clock access to their information systems and databases. Also, the FSB may require them to provide information from the journal in which orders are registered. According to the text of the document, passenger taxi ordering services will have to provide the agency with "round-the-clock remote access to information systems and databases used to receive, store, process and transfer orders."

Why did the FSB need data from taxi drivers and about taxi drivers?

"The FSB wants to have control over everything. Of course, it is clear that the goal is to control the terrorists. But who and how will process this entire database from taxi drivers?",- says auto expert, radio host Igor Morzharetto.

Major General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Mansur Yusupov agrees with him: "The control of geolocation and the movement of customers in taxis are connected with the events in Ukraine and possible terrorist attacks. But the database will really be difficult to process".

"This resolution is of a framework nature, of course, geolocation will be tracked piece by piece, in cases when it comes to criminals and terrorists. This will allow targeted work with people who stand on anti-Russian positions, this decision was made as part of the fight against terrorism. Only those who are of interest to the FSB will be trained", - says FSB Major General Alexander Mikhailov.

According to experts, all these innovations are being introduced as part of the implementation of the taxi law, which comes into force on September 1, 2023. In addition to providing data from FSB taxi drivers, the law also provides for the creation of a register of taxi ordering services, a register of carriers and a ban on working as taxi drivers of citizens with an outstanding criminal record and the presence of more than three unpaid administrative fines.

In any case, there will be more control over all of us. Accordingly, the probability of getting into the field of view of law enforcement agencies for each of us will increase by an order of magnitude.

According to Deputy Yelena Shuvalova, the noise meters that the authorities plan to install in Moscow will be listening to citizens. In her opinion, these devices "will track you and your families". The deputy believes that the new video surveillance systems are equipped not only with the face recognition function, but also with the ability to recognize voices. 

The editorial board contacted Yelena Anatolyevna, and she told us the following: "It is not known what functions will be incorporated in these noise meters. Will they listen to what is happening in the car or not? What will be put into these devices, no one explains. I am sure that in the future they will have a voice recognition and listening function".

"To begin with, there are no such devices for today. There are some developments where a directional microphone is combined with a camera. As far as I know, there are prototypes. Such a device cannot listen to conversations in the cabin, because it has a directional effect. It measures noise from the outside. Another thing bothers me: the Administrative Code prescribes a maximum fine for traffic violations up to 5 thousand rubles, and here it is possible to fine up to 10 thousand rubles and above. To associate the noise from the technical means with the power of the motor is ridiculous. I am in favor of punishment for noise, but without linking it to the power of the vehicle", - explained Igor Morzharetto, an auto expert, radio host, to NI.

"There really is a problem with the noise of cars and motorcycles. One of the reasons is the installation of so-called "direct currents" by making changes to the design of the vehicle. But in this case, the traffic police should work: establish the fact of making changes to the design, entailing excess noise, issue a fine, issue an order to eliminate illegal changes. If the order is not fulfilled – remove from registration, send to the impound lot. But now there is an acute shortage of traffic police officers. The authorities are trying to solve this problem by installing automatic cameras, in the case of noise measurement - with microphones. It is known that the noise strength is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source.  It is clear that the noise level is one meter away, another at a distance of 10 meters. Therefore, it is important at what distance this noise will be measured", - says auto expert, an independent member of the Working Group on the development of GOST standards for auto-fixing complexes Grigory Shukhman.

"There is no one to work on earth," confirms FSB Major General Alexander Mikhailov. – In some regions of the federation, the traffic police have a set of only 50%. Why go far, there are only 4 traffic police patrols in Solnechnogorsk. And cameras and noise meters can really lead to a large number of unmotivated fines, and considerable ones."

So what about wiretapping people? Moscow City Duma deputy Yelena Shuvalova reports: "Already now I am receiving appeals about the unauthorized installation of video cameras on the streets under the guise of video cameras of the Moscow Government. Even now, dishonest people have begun to trace other people in such a manner, and, perhaps, blackmail them. Now they want to give you the opportunity to listen as well!" As Alexander Ivanov, an employee of the group of companies responsible for the Gulfstream security systems, explained to us, the video recording system can record a person's speech in a room in such a way that it can then be recognized.
But on the street, especially on the highway, is a controversial issue. "Most likely he won't be able to", - the employee explained.

As for the fact of eavesdropping on people using noise meters, we have not found enough hard facts and data to prove it. But it will now be quite possible to get all the data about taxi passengers. The FSB can get access to geolocation and payment data of taxi passengers without a court decision. The draft resolution, which was developed by the special services, was published on the portal of regulatory legal acts. It follows from it that taxi aggregators will be required to provide round-the-clock access to their information systems and databases. Also, the FSB may require them to provide information from the journal in which orders are registered. According to the text of the document, passenger taxi ordering services will have to provide the agency with "round-the-clock remote access to information systems and databases used to receive, store, process and transfer orders". 

"The FSB wants to have control over everything. Of course, it is clear that the goal is to control the terrorists. But who and how will process this entire database from taxi drivers?", - says auto expert, radio host Igor Morzharetto.