Russian-supplied facial recognition used against Georgian protesters
Georgia's government is using facial recognition software bought from a Moscow-based company to identify protesters, escalating fines and chilling demonstrations after the 2024 election.
- Georgia's Polyface system is bought from Moscow-based Papillon AO, sanctioned by several countries and tied to Russia's FSB.
- By March 2025, at least GEL 2 million in protest fines had been imposed.
- Road-blocking fines rose from GEL 500 to GEL 5,000; face covering became criminal in 2025.
- Polyface 3.7.0 was delivered in early June 2025 and can scan live feeds, zoom in and flag watchlists.
- Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 and still controls roughly 20 percent of its territory.
Nearly two decades after Russia invaded Georgia, Georgian authorities have spent two years building a Russian-supplied facial recognition system to identify and fine protesters.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has procured Polyface from Papillon AO, a Moscow-based company sanctioned by several countries and tied to Russia's Federal Security Service. A 2018 contract said ministry operators would be trained by Russian personnel. The latest version, Polyface 3.7.0, was delivered in early June 2025. It is built on a deep learning algorithm from 3DiVi, a Russian AI company backed by a Russian state venture fund.
The system has become central to the government's response to protests that began after the allegedly rigged parliamentary election of October 26, 2024 and continued for 580 days. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze suspended EU accession talks until 2028. Police used water cannons, rubber bullets and detentions, but the crowds kept returning. Then fines arrived.
One protester, identified as Nino, was summoned in mid-March 2025 for blocking a road in Tbilisi. Court footage showed her identified by face recognition; she was fined GEL 5,000 (about EUR 1,620 or USD 1,878), had bank accounts frozen and raised money online to pay. By March 2025, at least GEL 2 million in protest penalties had been imposed.
Penalties have escalated: road-blocking fines rose from GEL 500 to GEL 5,000; face covering moved from an administrative offense in 2024 to a criminal offense in 2025; by 2026, calling the government illegitimate or using terms deemed offensive online also became criminal. Transparency International says the amendments have effectively abolished freedom of assembly.
Polyface can scan live camera feeds, let operators zoom in on individuals and flag preloaded watchlists. It matches faces to civil registry photos and can search images from social media. Procurement documents show the ministry requested licenses for unlimited operators, suggesting wider monitoring of demonstrations.
A researcher warns the technology poses national security risks because Papillon is part of Russia's security infrastructure and is obliged by Russian law to cooperate with Russian security services if compelled. The Taliban's use of US-built biometric systems in Afghanistan is cited as a warning.
Protesters say the system has changed behaviour: people cover faces, avoid distinctive clothes, skip chants and fear later fines. Funds that paid penalties were seized. Hundreds still gather nightly on Rustaveli Avenue, but many say the surveillance has made protest a searchable record and a risk to freedom.
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