Palestinian teens find IDF surveillance camera, Microsoft faces backlash

Ma'an reported that the boys who found the camera set it on fire after figuring out it was an Israeli spy device that included a transmitter and a battery.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
File photo of a Microsoft logo on an office building in New York (photo credit: MIKE SEGAR / REUTERS)
File photo of a Microsoft logo on an office building in New York
(photo credit: MIKE SEGAR / REUTERS)
Young men from Kober, a village northwest of Ramallah, posted a video on Youtube and photos showing them finding a camouflaged video camera that was hidden by Israeli security forces in concrete in a village cemetery on Friday. 
Ma'an reported that the boys who found the camera set it on fire after figuring out it was an Israeli spy device that included a , transmitter and a battery. 
Tamer Barghouti, a journalist from Kober, posted a video showing the young man dismantling the device and celebrating their discovery.
The IDF had arrested three young men from Kober on Tuesday and released two while keeping Nassim Barghouti in prison. 
The surveillance device was made by the Holon-based Israeli tech company AnyVision, according to Ma'an. AnyVision specializes in facial recognition technology. 
Microsoft announced its investment in AnyVision in June, after determining its products adhered to Microsoft's tough artificial intelligence standards. However, in July Microsoft was criticized after it came to light that the face recognition software was being used in Judea and Samaria checkpoints in addition to inside Arab communities. 
However, a statement by AnyVision sought to clarify the incident:
"AnyVision was not involved with the device that appears in the YouTube video," according to a statement provided to The Jerusalem Post, who noted that it is the company's belief that the story shared by Ma'an was likewise false.
"AnyVision remains deeply dedicated to the ethical and responsible use of these technologies and is a recognized advocate for regulation concerning facial recognition, privacy and user data," the statement read. "AnyVision does not collect or share user data or discuss partner relationships."


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