Coronavirus lockdown - Chennai Police use Eye Tracker app for tracking violators

 ​​​​​​Chennai police have begun employing a mobile application called Eye Tracker to keep track of people who leave their homes for no particular reason during the ongoing lockdown imposed to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. In order to magnify the surveillance and also reduce any physical contact, the police have begun using the Eye Tracker app with which the Aadhar Card or Drivers License will be scanned. In case the motorist is found to not possess either of them, the mobile number will be collected and fed into the system along with the reason for travel. In the event the motorist is found traveling on a regular basis, the vehicle will be seized.

Details of the motorist will then be stored in a server, which will include the complete travel history. The application will help the police identify people who give different reasons to roam around the city during the lockdown period. Initially, there were a few technical issues with the app as police officers had to manually enter details of the motorists. Constables are relieved with using Eye Tracker rather than collecting details manually from motorists as a safe distance is maintained while scanning the documents. 

The police have set up more than 150 check points in various parts of the city with personnel checking vehicles and allow only those who are providing essential services. More than 34,000 cases are said to have been filed in the past one month alone and over 20,000 vehicles were seized after they were found to be violating the prohibitory lockdown orders.