As facial recognition becomes widespread in urban spaces, it promises security but deepens social exclusion. Yonghua Zou argues that cities must redesign technology governance to safeguard trust, equity and inclusiveness, and offers insights to address what he calls the ‘safety–segregation paradox’.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 digital issues and online access to articles
$119.00 per year
only $9.92 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to the full article PDF.
USD 39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Zhao, W. & Zou, Y. Cities 62, 78–87 (2017).
Chen, Z. & Zou, Y. J. Urban Plan. Dev. 151, 04025014 (2025).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The author declares no competing interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zou, Y. Urban safety–segregation paradox in facial recognition. Nat Cities 3, 4–5 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44284-025-00363-2
Published:
Version of record:
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44284-025-00363-2