Analysts criticise a surveillance culture built on mistrust Chinese authorities have installed more than 20 million cameras nationwide to ensure “social stability,” the Washington-based National Public Radio [NPR] station has claimed .Surveillance technology, found everywhere from public places, classrooms and sporting venues, aims to maintain “social stability,” reduce crime and prevent cheating, according to the Chinese government.
One tech analyst has claimed there are an estimated 30 million CCTV fixtures in China, meaning there is now one camera for every 43 citizens.
While some Chinese say the cameras make them feel safer, others fear that they are being used to identify and punish outspoken citizens and encourage self-censorship at academic institutions.
The overall surveillance system incorporates a variety of eavesdropping technologies, reportedly enabling security agents to use mobile telephones as tracking and listening devices.
According to the New York Times, ousted Chongqing Communist Party boss Bo Xilai was purged from the leadership in 2012 partly because he allegedly tapped Chinese president Hu Jintao’s phone calls.
The case exemplified the distrust that pervades Chinese society and official circles, fueled by a secretive system of governance and the proliferation of spying devices without legal safeguards enforced by impartial courts.
Source: Freedom House