China's Growing Surveillance Programs. NewsWire

NewsWire: 7/28/22

• China’s growing surveillance state is much more expansive than previously known. An investigation shows that authorities employ video cameras, phone tracking, facial recognition, voice recognition, and various other forms of personal information to monitor citizens. (The New York Times)
• NH: It's no secret China runs a large-scale surveillance program. But a recent NYT report analyzing thousands of secretly obtained government documents shows just how extensive the program is. Let's explore some of the key findings.
  • Surveillance Cameras: Government cameras capture almost all parts of life. Not only are they installed on city streets, but they can be found in karaoke bars, apartment complexes, and private buildings. Documents showed that the government even had access to cameras in numerous US-owned hotel chains like Days Inn (WH) and Sheraton (MAR). At any given time, the police store about 2.5B photos.
  • Biometric Data: These cameras are feeding powerful facial recognition software. (See "The Moral Dilemma of Facial Recognition Software.”) They also collect audio samples to match with faces and capture iris scans. The government is even gathering male DNA samples collected by healthcare workers and law enforcement. Y chromosomes are passed down through generations with minimal mutations. So once you have one man's DNA, you have their male offspring's DNA. 25 of 31 provinces have built DNA databases. 
  • Phone Monitoring: Authorities extensively use IMSI catchers and WiFi sniffers to gain access to citizens' cell phones. Once they have infiltrated the device, they can track the owner's physical location. Documents also revealed that the police will scan a phone to uncover the owner's social media usernames. One document revealed authorities were even searching for apps that would translate Uyghur to Chinese. All 31 provinces track mobile devices. 
  • Covid-19 Apps: Since the pandemic began, China has required people to download mobile apps that dictate whether someone should quarantine. If your status is red, you may be contagious and can't use public transportation or enter public spaces. But if it's green, you are free to travel. Now, these apps are being used to control political dissenters. Earlier this month, the city government of Zhengzhou heard rumors of a planned protest at several regional banks. In response, they changed the status of suspected protestors to red--meaning they couldn't travel in the city.
• All in all, the government is attempting to create a profile for every citizen. But this is a massive undertaking, with logistical nightmares. For one, each province is separately running its own surveillance program. There is a lack of continuity and bureaucratic slowdowns in sharing information. Second, it takes a massive amount of digital storage and AI processors to screen the data. The NYT obtained a document from the Ministry of Public Security that admitted they couldn't possibly analyze all the video footage.  
• In June, hackers took advantage of the disorganized system. They stole the personal information of over 1B people from the Shanghai police. The data included names, addresses, lists of accused rapists, and possible political dissenters. The information had been left unsecured on government servers for months. 
• How does the public feel about the growing police state? For non-Han minorities, political dissidents, or persecuted religious groups, we already know the answer. They don't like it. But they can't do anything about it--not even complain about it.
• As for everybody else, opinions are mixed. According to a 2020 government survey, 60% of Chinese citizens believe the government has abused facial recognition software. And 80% were worried about how the data would be stored and protected. But while the majority certainly doesn't like "abuse" or the inadvertent release of personal data (who does?), it's less clear that a Confucian society that ranks high in "tight social rules" (to use social psychologist Michele Gelfand's term) has any objections to a well-run surveillance state.
• As the old adage goes, "If you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about." Even better, strict surveillance means that if you're following the rules, you're no longer irked by any neighbors who aren't. Sooner or later, you can reassure yourself, they will be caught.