> The IJOP center also sends officials to investigate cases when an individual’s phone, ID card, or vehicle has gone “off-grid.” Screen 15 displays the prompt sent to officials requesting them to investigate a phone number that the system has lost track of. The officer is prompted to probe, using a drop-down menu, why the phone went off-grid. The officer is then asked to note whether the person questioned seems suspicious and whether the case needs further investigation.
> ...
> The IJOP system also alerts officials when people are using phones that do not belong to them, giving the officials information about the case and the personal particulars of the person who is registered to the phone account, such as their ID number (see screen 19). It is unclear how the system “knows” that a person is using a phone that does not belong to them.[80] Officials are again required to log the reasons for the mismatch and decide if the person is suspicious.[81]
This technique especially scary for people concerned about privacy, because it means passive attempts to avoid surveillance will invite more direct invasions.
Great article for getting a sense of what is of interest to a state. China has its own issues, but as a sample of what a given state considers interesting, it's a map for detecting how other countries likely collect the same information with some pretense of discretion. I'm sure we're all "shocked, shocked!" to have just found this out.
article says the level of surveillance carried out with this app in Xinjiang exceeds what is allowed by the law in China
Many—perhaps all—of the mass surveillance practices described in this report appear to be contrary to Chinese law.
Really important article IMO.
It's too bad this is probably going to be flagged to death (or at least off the front page).
Of all the articles about Xinjiang and Chinese human rights issues, this is one of rare ones that's right up HN's alley, because of its focus on the details of the technology of mass surveillance.
So, China basically treats Uyghurs citizens as foreigners. The app is a digitalized DS-160 form, and checkpoints are customs.
It would be helpful to get some true, short stories about the path from harmless activity -> data collection -> re-education camp to show people in the rest of the world why their techie friends are always harping on the dangers of online tracking and the erosion of privacy. This is the depressing doomsday scenario we're all trying to avoid. It's already real and it's happening in a massive country with an eye towards expansion.