CHINA, THE HI-TECH SURVEILLANCE STATE
A dragonfly’s eye contains 28,000 facets, each a little eye. This endowment gives them the ability to have a 360-degree view of the world around them and pick up images six times faster than humans, seeing the world at a blinding speed. Consequently, dragonflies are able to respond to dangerous situations incredibly fast.[1]
The Chinese state is like a dragonfly, empowered with the ability to respond to dangerous circumstances at a blinding speed. With its digital surveillance apparatus, it has the unprecedented power to peer into the lives of Chinese citizens.[2] Indeed, scholars have begun to describe the regime as a “digital authoritarian state.”[3] The country not only employs millions of people in charge of digital surveillance but also has strengthened its resolve to integrate artificial intelligence and big data analytics into its surveillance efforts. By doing so, the country receives important feedback and insights that allow it to prevent social crises that threaten to disrupt the system.[4] The state’s digital reach has already permeated throughout fields such as education, transportation, medical care, pensions, environmental protection, urban operations, and judicial services.[5]
Pessimists like to argue that despite individuals’ increasing ability to access…
