What possible consequences can arise from governments all over the world imitating China and beginning to increase monitoring in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic?
Potential repercussions may arise if governments worldwide decide to increase surveillance in the wake of the global Covid-19 outbreak, following China's lead. Mass surveillance has been employed by China to contain the pandemic, which has sparked worries about invasions of privacy and human rights (Lo, 2022) (Liu & Zhao, 2021). The unconstrained use of mass surveillance during the pandemic has resulted in violations of privacy and liberty, and the success of using surveillance to control the pandemic has raised the bar in terms of the further construction of these systems (Lo, 2022).
It's possible that the epidemic altered public perception of monitoring, resulting in the emergence of a "surveillance culture" in which invasions of privacy and liberty are justified when necessary for public health. Businesses and people who invest in surveillance technology are probably pro-surveillance and want to see their technologies expanded to new applications. The establishment of new organizations responsible for Covid-19 surveillance may experience "mission creep," which is the extension of their authority beyond the original intent of their organization.
There may be repercussions for privacy and human rights if governments everywhere begin to increase monitoring, drawing inspiration from China. The use of surveillance technology may result in invasions of privacy and liberty, and the development of surveillance systems may give rise to new organizations that are given more authority than they were intended to have. To guarantee that surveillance technologies are used properly and ethically, it is crucial to strike a balance between privacy and human rights concerns and public health considerations.
Mass of Surveillance in China
In addition to an unparalleled degree of mass monitoring, China's battle against Covid-19 has involved the vast collecting of personal and private data, encompassing both non-technical and technological components.
Key aspects included:
Health Code (jian kang ma)
Tracing persons who are at risk of infection involves utilizing digital technologies to monitor their whereabouts and health state. By cross-referencing past trip data, the Chinese contact-tracing app "Health Code," which is fully integrated into the well-known mobile platforms WeChat and Alipay, analyzes the whereabouts of people and identifies those who are at risk.
While China is by no means the only country to deploy contact-tracing applications, the country has attained an exceptional degree of tracking accuracy through the automatic collection of a wide variety of personal data. The Health Code app also contributes to the regulation of people's movements by designating users with a green, yellow, or red code that determines their permission to travel or enter public areas. For instance, a green code indicates that the person is considered healthy and is allowed to travel, while a yellow or red code indicates that the person has been determined to have a medium or high risk of exposure to Covid-19 (Dong & Scott, 2022).
Digital Surveillance
A vast network of grassroots and quasi-governmental organizations, including homeowner associations, villagers' committees, residents' committees, and property management companies, support China's health surveillance efforts in addition to digital technology. These organizations not only assist in locating and reporting to local authorities individuals who test positive for Covid-19, but also assist the government in making sure that public health orders are followed (Lo, 2022).
Through rigorous contact tracing, monitoring isolation, quarantine, and lockdowns, these surveillance techniques enable local authorities to quickly identify and contain an outbreak. Unfortunately, the procedures employed for gathering, analyzing, and utilizing the data are opaque and do not adhere to the norms of permission and individual privacy that are prevalent in democracies across the West.
Source: https://youtu.be/Doxpv_W-JsU
Drones and Street Cameras
In April, Western media carried reports of what appeared to be government-run drones flying over a quarantined Shanghai, the largest metropolis in China, where officials recorded a record 22,000 new cases of Covid-19 in a single day. One drone filmed at night over a housing compound and bellowed, "Control your soul's desire for freedom" in an unconfirmed viral video (Dong & Scott, 2022). Besides, the most common kind of surveillance is through street cameras, with over half of the approximately 1 billion surveillance cameras worldwide being found in China.
Source: https://youtu.be/1MLGQL5pbbM
Public Acceptance
According to (Liu & Zhao, 2021), Chinese people mostly accepted the government's extensive virus-tracking program despite worries about invasions of privacy and human rights, believing that such transgressions were justified in the interest of public health.
Biometric Data Collection
In order "to form a multimodal portrait," the HRW study states that biometric data such as voice samples, DNA, iris scans, and gait are also collected as part of surveillance. Repression in Tibet and Xinjiang has been linked to forced biometric data gathering.
According to a 2019 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace research, Chinese corporations have sold AI surveillance technology to 63 countries, 36 of which have ratified China's Belt and Road Initiative (Dong & Scott, 2022).
The Integrated Joint Operations Platform, or IJOP, is a big data system that closely monitors behaviors Beijing deems suspicious in Xinjiang, northwest China, where the government has launched a crackdown against Uyghurs. If Beijing notices someone stopping their cell phone use or avoiding neighbors, for example, the system flags them for questioning.
To conclude, despite its difficulties, the Covid-19 epidemic might be considered a success for the Chinese government. As a result of determined efforts to combat the pandemic, there have been few economic losses and a low death toll in comparison to other nations. China, on the other hand, has strengthened its position as the world's leading nation in international commerce and reaped the growth dividend from effective pandemic management. Furthermore, China's efforts to enhance its reputation by providing masks, ventilators, and vaccines served as leverage, enabling it to further solidify its geopolitical position.
According to ((Gębska & Krukowska, 2022), China's national security was at risk due to the pandemic's repercussions, which were felt across all economic sectors. Nonetheless, the Chinese government continuously controlled both the good and bad consequences of the pandemic, with the goal of fortifying China against an international attack. China's achievements are especially noteworthy because other nations are still battling the pandemic's waves, whereas China has advanced and will be difficult to overtake.
Source: https://youtu.be/aGfp1xNh7YU
References
Lo, K. (2022). COVID-19 and the rise of the surveillance state in China. Melbourne Asia Review, 11. https://doi.org/10.37839/mar2652-550x11.5
Liu, J., & Zhao, H. (2021). Privacy lost: Appropriating surveillance technology in China’s fight against COVID-19. Business Horizons, 64(6), 743–756. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2021.07.004
Dong, W., & Scott, L. (2022, December 29). COVID controls offer insight into China’s surveillance network. Voice of America. https://www.voanews.com/a/covid-controls-offer-insight-into-china-s-surveillance-network/6888440.html
Gębska, M., & Krukowska, M. (2022). COVID-19 implications for China’s national security. Security and Defence Quarterly, 37(1), 55–67. https://doi.org/10.35467/sdq/147490