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Lars Daniel covers digital evidence and cybersecurity in life and law.
Dec 5, 2024,11:31am EST
In China, the government’s expansive surveillance system has long been a tool for maintaining control, a sprawling network designed to monitor the activities of over 1.4 billion citizens. Advanced technologies like facial recognition cameras, artificial intelligence, and big data analytics are embedded into daily life, ensuring that almost no action goes unnoticed. Yet, this unprecedented surveillance network is now revealing cracks—cracks that are being exploited by the very people tasked with maintaining it.
In what might seem like a plot twist in a dystopian novel, insiders within China’s surveillance apparatus have found ways to profit from the system, Wired reports. These government employees and contractors, with privileged access to the vast treasure troves of personal information, are selling this data on the black market. Sensitive details such as real-time locations, banking records, and passport scans are now being peddled on platforms like Telegram. Some of this data is sold for just a few dollars, while more comprehensive profiles command higher prices, paid in cryptocurrencies to ensure anonymity.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/larsdaniel/2024/12/05/chinas-surveillance-state-is-losing-its-grip/
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