Student blog — State surveillance in China: A camera in every garage and a microphone in every kitchen?

Although China has been closely surveilling its citizens’ internet usage for the last decade, the Chinese government only recently began constructing a “smart surveillance” CCTV system that matches the extent of existing online surveillance tools. The smart surveillance system is currently being piloted for several causes, from suppressing uprisings in the far western Xinjiang Autonomous Region, to policing jaywalking in the urban areas of Shenzhen in Guangdong. We must wonder: are there any limits to the proliferation of this surveillance technology? Continue Reading