In early 2018, Human Rights Watch obtained a copy of a mass surveillance app used by police in Xinjiang, in northwest China. In Xinjiang, the Chinese government has subjected 13 million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims to widespread restrictions, in violation of their basic rights. Checkpoints form a network of virtual fences, restricting movement. Arbitrary detention for behaviors that don’t violate Chinese law, such as purchasing a new SIM card or growing a beard, are commonplace. Up to 1 million people are held in “political education” camps.
The app provides an unprecedented window into mass surveillance in Xinjiang. It aggregates data – from people’s blood type and height, to information about their electricity usage and package deliveries – and alerts authorities when it deems someone or something suspicious. It is part of the Integrated Joint Operations Platform (IJOP), the main system for mass surveillance in Xinjiang. Human Rights Watch “reverse engineered” the app, and Nazish Dholakia spoke to Human Rights Watch senior China researcher Maya Wang about what the process revealed.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by frequent
