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Video cameras have become an accepted feature of urban life all over the world. Many cities in China are now heavily networked, and London and New Delhi are not far behind.

Now France is catching up. Since 2015, the year of the Bataclan terrorist attacks, the number of cameras in Paris has quadrupled. Police used such cameras to enforce pandemic lockdown measures and monitor protests.

Concerns were voiced across the country. But its surveillance offering met with particular resistance in Marseille, France’s second largest city. Last year, President Emmanuel Macron announced that 500 more security cameras would be given to the city council and placed in a part of the city that is home to a large number of immigrants.

The stormy, unruly Mediterranean town sits on some fault lines running through modern France. Known for its trendy bars, artist studios, and startup centers, the city is also famous for drugs, poverty, and criminal activity. Perhaps not surprisingly, activists are fighting against the cameras, highlighting the surveillance system’s overreach and poor performance. But are they successful? Read the full story.

—Fleur Macdonald

must read

I scoured the internet for today’s most entertaining/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

1 A Google engineer thinks his AI is responsive
Almost certainly not – but that hasn’t stopped a new round of speculation and discussion in the research community. (WP $)
+ Google’s vice president thinks the network is making its way into consciousness. (Economist $)
+ Machine consciousness is an argument that never goes away. (MIT Technology Review)
+ The text-to-image AI DALL-E had a hard time drawing a self-portrait. (motherboard)

2 The rise and rise of digital twins
Experimenting with digital copies of everything from vital organs to planet Earth can help simulate disasters. (BBC)
+ How digital twins are helping to overcome the world’s supply chain nightmare. (MIT Technology Review)

3 We make the world so bright
And it harms our wildlife. (Atlantic Ocean $)

4 Leading a deep space mission is more stressful than you ever imagined
New problems arise every day. (slate $)
+ A rocket carrying two NASA satellites failed to enter orbit Sunday. (Space)

5 Meta explores how Sheryl Sandberg uses company resources
It’s mainly about his own personal projects, including the promotion of his second book. (WSJ $)

A microchip that tests more than 200 viruses may be on the horizon
Molecular electronics could accelerate drug discovery if they work. (Neo.Life)
+ This startup wants to make electronics from single molecules. (MIT Technology Review)
+ Physician check-in software collects user data for marketing. (WP $)

7 Even if a TV is turned off, some ads continue to play on streaming services
This is a complete waste of money for advertisers. (WSJ $)

8 Being a parent in America is harder than ever
But it is worth remembering that the children themselves are still incredibly resilient. (vox)

9 Facebook groups are used to bring Pakistani youth together
After the country banned more traditional dating apps, including Tinder. (rest of the world)
+ There is a growing backlash against practices around the world. (Guard)

10 Like it or not, we’re all influencers now
And the endless effort to appease the algorithm worries us. (Real life)

Word of the Day

“It took me hours to realize what happened, why I was crying. I realized I was in pain. I was saddened by the destruction of the world.”