Inside Uzbekistan’s nationwide license plate surveillance system

Uzbekistan operates a nationwide license plate surveillance system comprising around 100 high-resolution roadside camera banks that continuously scan vehicles and occupants for traffic violations such as running red lights, not wearing seatbelts, and unlicensed night driving. This extensive system, managed by the Department of Public Security under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, collects millions of photos and raw video footage, enabling detailed tracking of individuals’ movements across cities like Tashkent, Chirchiq, and others. The system, described as an “intelligence traffic management system,” is supplied by Maxvision, a Chinese company specializing in internet-connected traffic and surveillance technologies, which exports similar systems globally. A significant security lapse was discovered by researcher Sen, who found the entire Uzbek license plate surveillance database exposed online without password protection, allowing unrestricted access to sensitive data. The database, established in September 2024 with monitoring starting mid-2025, reveals real-time locations of cameras and detailed vehicle tracking information. Despite multiple attempts, neither Uzbek authorities nor