Buzz
The Communist Party of China (CCP) is growing increasingly suspicious of its citizens. As China moves toward greater prosperity, workers are expecting higher wages and more personal ownership. However, the CCP remains deeply resistant to any ideology that threatens its Marxist foundations. Any threat—whether it’s the separatist movements of Uyghur Muslims or the encroachment of Western capitalism—is swiftly erased from public view.
President Xi Jinping, now holding the title of ‘president for life,’ is wielding China’s technological prowess to keep the population under tight control. A major tool in this effort is the social credit system, which punishes dissent. The system calculates scores based on massive amounts of data, such as a person’s online activity, criminal history, and purchasing patterns. A range of behaviors can cause one's score to drop dramatically, including giving an insincere apology in court, traffic offenses, spreading fake news online, protesting against the CCP, or even neglecting to visit elderly family members. Consequences of low scores include slowed internet speeds, travel restrictions, loan denials, and limited access to public transportation.
China has become a surveillance state powered by cutting-edge technology, where religious practices, freedom of speech, and political opposition are crushed. One of the key components of this control is China’s “Skynet Project,” an extensive network of surveillance cameras that track the movements of every citizen. This system is largely managed by tech giants that are compelled to report directly to the CCP. Life in modern China now resembles a dystopia, rivaling even the chilling scenarios depicted in Charlie Brooker’s sci-fi series Black Mirror.
10. Facial Recognition Used for Toilet Paper Distribution
China is currently undergoing what’s called the ‘Toilet Revolution.’ Launched by President Xi Jinping in 2015, this initiative aims to overhaul the restroom facilities at popular tourist destinations. Many travelers had long complained about China’s substandard bathrooms, often featuring dirty pit toilets. In response, the government has poured billions of dollars into constructing high-end facilities, with some even offering Wi-Fi, vending machines, televisions, and charging stations for electric vehicles and scooters.
However, some local governments have taken it even further. In many public restrooms, citizens must stand on a designated marker while a facial recognition system scans their face. A camera captures the image and dispenses a 28-inch strip of toilet paper—roughly 6 to 7 sheets. If more is needed, visitors must wait another 9 minutes before they can obtain more. Some ‘smart’ bathrooms go even further, with alarms triggered after 15 minutes of bathroom use, prompting staff to check on the user.
9. Public Shaming for Jaywalking
In mainland China, approximately 260,000 people die in road traffic accidents every year, with pedestrians and cyclists accounting for a startling 60% of this toll. There is troubling evidence to suggest that some drivers intentionally hit pedestrians in order to avoid the high medical costs that follow accidents. This practice is known locally as the 'hit-to-kill' rule, as paying a one-time settlement to the victim’s family is often cheaper than covering medical expenses for the injured.
To combat these accidents, the Chinese government has implemented several technologies to deter jaywalking. One prominent tactic is the use of facial recognition technology to identify jaywalkers, whose images are then displayed on large electronic billboards and online platforms. This public shaming strategy is intended to force citizens to follow traffic rules more diligently.
Using its facial recognition database, the government is able to quickly identify offenders and impose small fines. These fines are automatically deducted from the individual’s social media accounts, typically Weibo or WeChat. Those who repeatedly break the rules are added to China’s social credit blacklist, which restricts their access to various public services.
In 2018, officials in Ningbo were embarrassed when they accused an advertisement of jaywalking. The anti-jaywalking technology captured a female face on the side of a moving bus, mistaking the ad for a real jaywalker. It was later revealed that the face belonged to Dong Mingzhu, a well-known businesswoman who was featured in an advertisement for her air conditioning company.
8. Equipping Workers with Brain-Reading Headsets
In 2018, it was uncovered that many large companies had started using advanced headgear to monitor workers' brainwave activity. From factories to state-run trains, various sectors have adopted brain-monitoring technology to increase productivity. For instance, a state-owned power company in Hangzhou claims the devices have boosted both workflow and profits. Changhai Hospital uses them, alongside pressure sensors and cameras, to prevent violent outbursts from patients. Schools are also beginning to employ these devices to assess student concentration levels.
The headsets are equipped with electrodes that detect various problematic brainwave patterns. It turns out that overly emotional employees tend to be less productive. If the system detects anxiety or depression, workers may be reassigned or given time off. “When a warning is triggered, the manager tells the worker to take a break or shift to a less demanding role,” explained neuroscience professor Jin Jia. “Some tasks require extreme focus, and there is no room for error.”
7. Robo-Dove Spy Drones
Multiple Chinese agencies are utilizing robotic birds to secretly monitor citizens. These surveillance drones, equipped with GPS antennas, sensors, and cameras, are part of a project named 'Dove.' Weighing just 200 grams, the drones use flexible wings to create both lift and propulsion. The engineering team claims that the device has even managed to deceive real birds. Flocks often follow the robo-dove, mimicking its flight patterns, allowing the drone to blend seamlessly with the natural environment.
Authorities consider the nearly silent drone an ideal tool for covert surveillance. These robotic birds have already been deployed across five provinces, including the Xinjiang region, which has a large Muslim population. The government has long been concerned with the rise of Turkic separatism in the north. To counter this, President Xi Jinping has launched extensive surveillance, DNA tracking, and the establishment of ‘re-education camps.’
Flying at a speed of 25 miles per hour, the low-flying robo-dove is nearly invisible to all but the most advanced radar systems. The Chinese military has examined the drones and is exploring additional uses. Project leader Song Bifeng states that the drones have already been used for ‘environmental protection, land planning… and border patrol.’
6. Artificial News Anchors
At the 2018 World Internet Conference, Xinhua News Agency unveiled the world’s first artificial news presenters. Created by the tech giant Sogou, these virtual anchors feature incredibly realistic hand and facial animations. The English-speaking model is based on Xinhua’s own Zhang Zhao. During its debut, the self-identified ‘AI news anchor’ discussed Panama’s strategic importance in China’s push to access Latin American markets. “That’s all for today’s English news program,” it concluded. “As an AI news anchor still in development, I’m aware there’s much room for improvement.”
Almost two years later, the AI news team has expanded, now including China’s first digital female anchor. The developers have also utilized machine learning to refine the hosts’ expressions, movements, and speaking styles. These AI anchors, praised for their 'tireless' work, have delivered thousands of reports on Xinhua’s website and mobile apps.
Xinhua News Agency is a key branch of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), producing government-approved newspapers, magazines, and broadcasts. Its reporters contribute to the country's “internal media,” which consists of uncensored reports only available to CCP officials. Meanwhile, Sogou’s parent company, Tencent, continues to support the regime’s surveillance efforts on a massive scale.
5. Faking Exercise to Avoid Salary Deductions
With the rise of fitness tracking apps, companies in China have started to closely monitor the health of their employees. In 2015, Tencent introduced a fitness tracker within its popular WeChat app. The tracker counts a user’s steps and lets people ‘like’ their friends’ activity. Some employers have since begun using these data to track employee health—and even deduct salaries for insufficient physical activity.
In 2018, a real estate agency in southeastern China began using WeChat’s fitness app to monitor employee activity. Workers were informed that they would face a salary deduction if they failed to meet a target of 180,000 steps each month. For every 100 steps missed, one Chinese yuan (about 14 cents) would be deducted from the worker’s pay. One human resources staffer reportedly lost $14 for missing her target by 10,000 steps. Several large insurance companies also request step data from their clients, offering discounts to those who are more active.
In response, many people in China have resorted to cheating the system. WeChat’s fitness tracker uses a mobile phone’s built-in sensors to estimate steps taken. By swinging the phone in a cradle, users can trick the device’s accelerometer into thinking they’re walking. Some Chinese restaurants have even adopted these quirky setups in an attempt to keep customers eating and drinking for longer.
4. Study the Great Nation App
The Chinese Publicity Department has created an app aimed at educating citizens about their country. Named “Study the Great Nation,” the app praises the accomplishments of President Xi Jinping and the Communist Party. However, the app is more than just a propaganda tool—it also grants the CCP ‘super-user privileges,’ potentially allowing the Party to monitor the phone user’s activities.
“Study the Great Nation” places a heavy emphasis on news about President Xi Jinping, even promoting a TV series called “Xi Time.” The app also offers a deep dive into China’s history, culture, and socialist ideology. Users are then required to complete various tests to prove they’ve absorbed the Party’s teachings. The results are posted on leaderboards to encourage competition among the public.
The CCP has widely promoted the app. School children are often publicly shamed for poor test scores. Employers require workers to present proof of their results. Journalists must complete a course on President Xi Jinping through the app before they can receive their press credentials.
With over 100 million users, “Study the Great Nation” has become an overwhelming success. While much of its popularity stems from government coercion, the initial response was far from positive. Early reviews averaged just 2.7 stars on the Apple App Store. “Everyone is installing this app willingly,” said one sarcastic reviewer. “No one is forcing us.” These reviews were quickly deleted.
3. Execution Vans that Harvest Organs
The CCP has long insisted that capital punishment is essential for maintaining order. For decades, executions in China were carried out by firing squads. However, since 2010, the government has shifted toward using lethal injections. The challenge, however, lies in the high cost of transporting prisoners to specialized execution centers, especially in rural areas. This has led to the rise of an unconventional solution: mobile execution vans and buses.
In small towns and rural areas, condemned criminals are strapped to stretchers and placed in the back of mobile execution vehicles. A mixture of drugs is then administered, inducing unconsciousness and causing cardiac arrest. A technician, accompanied by a third-party witness, performs the execution, while a live video feed ensures the process follows state regulations. Afterward, the organs of the deceased are harvested and stored in ice boxes.
With thousands of citizens facing the death penalty every year, human rights organizations have accused the government of using execution vans to profit. A variety of lesser offenses, such as tax evasion and corruption, are still punishable by death. As a result, the trade in human organs has become a multi-billion dollar industry.
In 2019, a criminal tribunal in London found China guilty of harvesting organs from political prisoners. The CCP allegedly launched a campaign of persecution against the Falun Gong, a spiritual and meditative group. Surgeons are said to have removed eyes, hearts, kidneys, livers, lungs, and skin tissue from detainees, some of whom were still alive during the procedures.
2. Taser-Wielding Police Robots
China has rapidly become a leader in military and police robotics, exporting many of its technologies to developing markets in the Middle East and Africa. The country has built an extensive array of unmanned drones, including attack helicopters, stealth jets, mini submarines, tank destroyers, and gun-mounted rovers. Special robots have been developed for coronavirus patrols, taking temperatures and reminding citizens to wear masks. Meanwhile, police robots roam around urban centers, hospitals, airports, and construction zones throughout China.
In 2016, the National Defense University unveiled AnBot – an autonomous police and security patrol robot. With an appearance reminiscent of Doctor Who’s Daleks, the 78kg robot is designed to “patrol independently and defend against violence or civil unrest.” It features multiple surveillance cameras and an extendable electroshock arm. The AnBot responds to distress calls, rapidly rolling towards danger at speeds of 11 miles per hour. It currently patrols Shenzhen Airport terminals.
A similar robot made its debut at a railway station in Henan province. The E-Patrol Robot Sheriff monitors for unlawful activities and cross-references passengers with China’s criminal databases. It can also detect unusual changes in temperature and humidity. On its very first day, the robot detected a fire. 'Fortunately, the robot’s air and humidity monitoring functions helped us; without them, we would’ve had a massive situation on our hands,' said one on-duty officer.
1. Catching Wanted Criminals with Smart Glasses
Police forces across China are quickly adapting to technological advancements, using facial recognition technology to track down criminals. In 2015, tech company LLVision launched its version of Google Glass. Known as GLXSS, this technology is now used by police forces across China to identify criminals in crowds. It showed its potential after being tested on busy railway platforms in Zhengzhou. During the 2018 Lunar New Year, railway police used the smart glasses to apprehend human traffickers, hit-and-run suspects, and individuals traveling with fake IDs.
Meanwhile, officers in the Sichuan province use the technology to monitor traffic at various highway checkpoints. LLVision’s smart glasses are used to capture vehicle license plates. A quick database check provides details about the vehicle and its registered owner. The passengers are then scanned using the facial recognition database to identify any potential fugitives.
GLXSS uses an 8-megapixel camera to capture HD footage. The data is transmitted to a tablet, where it’s compared to a database of wanted criminals. In response to concerns over potential human rights violations, LLVision CEO Wu Fei stated that the technology was being used for 'noble' purposes. 'We trust the government,' Fei added.
