by installing surveillance cameras in every corner of the city. In fact, China Daily has

reported that 100% of the city is under video surveillance as part of a nationwide project,

ominously called “Skynet”. So we wanted to know, just how invasive is China’s mass

surveillance?

Well, by 2013, China had installed up to 30 million cameras around the country, jumping

dramatically from a little under 3 million cameras in 2005. NPR reported finding 11 cameras

in a 100 foot radius. 13 million were installed in 2011 alone. And while the cameras do seem

to lower crime rates, China’s oppressive government doesn’t just stop there. China

is well known to censor and monitor all of its web traffic, and uses this information

to imprison journalists and bloggers. China has roughly 2 million internet police alone,

who have been cracking down on any form of dissent or protest. The practice of jailing

political dissidents has led to China holding the largest number of people arrested for

their internet history.

But it only gets worse. China is also known to wiretap phones, with one politician found

tapping high ranking officials and China’s President. The New York Times has even reported

that private phone calls are automatically disconnected when a controversial word, like

“protest”, is mentioned. And while it may sound paranoid, many hide or disable their

cell phones when having potentially dissenting conversations in person. According to NPR,

some Chinese citizens suggest that their cell phones can be remotely activated to listen

in.

So what does China do with all this information? Well, besides imprisoning those they disagree

with, they also use it to publicly rate their population. Chinese citizens are given a “social

credit score”, which is similar to a regular credit score. The difference is that it is

based on private behavior, and affects much more than your car loan. It’s reported that

if you badmouth the government online, play video games, or even if one of your friends

posts something disagreeable online, your score goes down. And this score can assist or prevent

you in receiving a travel visa, a bank loan, or even a job. The government has announced

that this system will be mandatory within the next 5 years.

Obviously, programs like these are intended to create a fear of dissent. The American

Civil Liberties Union has said that this surveillance and judgment system should serve as a warning

for the United States. Although China is no longer a totalitarian system, they are unquestionably

authoritarian; threatening both pressure and actual arrest for anyone who dares to question

the status quo. While the US is unlikely to be as aggressive as China in this regard,

the use of mass surveillance in the United States has already seen a huge shift in public

perceptions of the government.

China alarming new credit score system is just the tip of the iceberg. Watch Seeker

Daily to learn more

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