Blog 2: Surveillance Cameras in China

On January 29th NPR published an article by Frank Langfitt about China’s increasing use of surveillance cameras to invade the private lives of its citizens and intimidate those who may be critical of the communist government. The article states that there about now about 30 million cameras throughout China, located everywhere from streets, classrooms, and temples, to public buses and taxi cabs. Chinese officials claim that the cameras are to maintain “social stability” and to help deter crime, but many Chinese citizens and human rights activists are claiming that they also serve a much darker purpose. The writer reports an interview with human rights lawyer, Li Tiantian, in China who has been very outspoken about the Chinese government and states that she has had surveillance footage personally used against her.  Li claims that once the government sees you as a threat they do what they can to get rid of you or force you out of town, and even resort to sabotaging your private life. She also states that it has become common for people to turn off their cellphones and put them away when having a private conversation because Chinese agents have the ability to use them as listening devices and tracking instruments. The article then goes on to mention how China’s ultimate goal is to acquire highly accurate face recognition cameras, as to track their “critics” throughout the country. Some citizens don’t seem to see the harm in the dense use of these cameras, and claim that it helps them to feel safe and secure because the cameras help deter small crimes, like shoplifting. Still, many agree that this type of surveillance is scary when in the possession of such a controlling regime because it makes speaking out against the government nearly impossible and infringes on the few rights the Chinese still have left.

Being somewhat familiar with the current state of China and its controlling Communist government I wasn’t too surprised to read that they are now implementing what sounds like a country-wide surveillance system, but that doesn’t take away from how horrible it is. It’s one thing to use surveillance cameras inside stores and banks to help deter shoplifting and robbery, but it’s a whole other story for the government to control the use of the cameras and footage and use it against the country’s citizens who have voiced their opinions against the state. When the cameras are used in this fashion it is not to better the lives of the people or promote their security, it is instead only to protect the reputation of the government and cover up anything that might lead the people to revolt.  

 


Article: http://www.npr.org/2013/01/29/170469038/in-china-beware-a-camera-may-be-watching-you

Brittany Briceno

2.08.2013

6:28AM