Trapwire, a spy system uncovered by RT last year while analyzing hacked emails obtained from the Stratfor private intelligence firm, has been sold to major US cities, allowing customers to scan the faces of people caught on surveillance cameras in only seconds. The Electronic Privacy Information Center describes TrapWire as “a technology solution predicated upon behavior patterns in red zones to identify surveillance. It helps you connect the dots over time and distance.”

Intelligence contractor Abraxas developed TrapWire to, every few seconds, collect data at surveillance points in major cities and landmarks across the United States. The data is recorded digitally on the spot, then encrypted and instantaneously delivered to a fortified central database center at an undisclosed location to be aggregated with other intelligence.