Over 700 million cameras on the streets, in houses, even on garbage cans: China has the largest video surveillance system in the world. Not everyone thinks this is a bad thing.
At intersections in Beijing, while waiting at traffic lights, everyone is watched by a dozen cameras from every possible direction. They film cars, cyclists, pedestrians and everything else that happens at the intersection. Total surveillance - both visible and covert - is everyday life in China, writes the German public media ARD.
– It makes our lives safer and more convenient. So far, I haven't had any bad experiences,– 28-year-old Xiaoying tells ARD. "The use of technology is very advanced. That's why I feel safe when I travel from Beijing to other cities."
Unannounced gatherings are taboo
It is estimated that there are between 700 and 800 million cameras in public spaces in China. They document what is happening on the streets and squares and immediately show if, for example, more people gather in one place without warning - this is taboo in communist China.
The cameras also monitor whether people are properly separating their garbage. And thanks to facial recognition, it is immediately clear who has thrown their ordinary garbage into the waste bin.
The footage is collected in large control centers, explains ARD. German journalists have gained access to one of them and say that there are dozens of screens on the walls showing what is being filmed. In them, the faces of the people being photographed are marked in green or red - depending on their behavior.
"This gives a sense of security, order and cleanliness", said Shen Dandang, one of the developers of the system, who at the time preferred not to talk about "total surveillance".
Facial recognition at the door
Yet China is doing exactly that. And it is relying on facial recognition particularly heavily where control is concerned: for example in Xinjiang, in the northwest of the country. In 2014, state and party leader Xi Jinping declared this area a test area for new surveillance methods. For this purpose, data is collected from surveillance cameras, WLAN routers and police checkpoints.
In the meantime, many people only have access to their homes after facial recognition, writes the German public media. Computer programs register people based on their gait. The communist leadership calls this the fight against terror, after attacks in many regions of the country in recent years.
Today, technology is an everyday thing for people in China. And it's not just about control, says Genia Kostka, who heads the Institute for China Studies at the Free University of Berlin. "In this way, China wants to show: we are a very efficient country, we look after you. It is usually thought that the main tool is surveillance, but I think it is more like attempts are being made to "buy" citizens."
Convenience makes people happy
And indeed, many find it convenient that plane or train tickets are tied to the owner's face or that money transfers can be made with just a glance at the smartphone camera. This is also possible in principle in Germany, but there is a difference in data protection, for example with large technology companies, writes ARD.
"If we look at how it is paid, we come to companies like "Alibaba". In the meantime, however, there are laws on the basis of which the police can say that the person threatens national security and in this case "Alibaba" can and must hand over the data about this person to the police," explains Kostka.
Most people in China do not ask themselves the question of personal data. So what could happen to you if you have not committed any offenses, says the prevailing opinion. However, 20-year-old student Yang Xuen is thinking about the issue. "My profile is linked to personal information such as passport numbers, bank card numbers, smartphone numbers - I have to provide all of this to the university. I'm worried about this, but I can't change anything."
The Chinese surveillance apparatus works - including thanks to technology that allows for both: convenience for the population and comprehensive control for the state.
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Source: www.dw.com