China's Surveillance System Exposes Journalist Data, Expert Finds Access Easy

A cybersecurity expert stumbled upon a demonstration of China's "holographic profile" surveillance system, revealing the extent of its data integration capabilities. The expert, identified as NetAskari, accessed a test interface for the system used by the Public Security Bureau in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, a co-host city for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

What NetAskari saw was a database containing information on foreign journalists working in Beijing around 2021. This included official passport photos, personal mobile numbers, visa details, and birth years. The expert noted that while being monitored is expected for journalists in China, the ease of access to such sensitive data was surprising.

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Frankly, it was much more interesting than shocking. If you are a journalist and you work in China, you basically assume you are being watched. I was only surprised by how easily one can access such a sensitive system.

The system, described as a "monster of integrated data social control," has evolved from a network of street surveillance cameras into a 24/7 operation. China's "Xueliang" initiative aims to unify scattered surveillance points nationwide. The Zhangjiakou police dashboard demonstrated how authorities can track individuals in real-time, even noting their specific seat on a train or linking facial photos from ski resort gates to existing data.

This vast data-merging system aims to create a comprehensive "all-around personal description" by combining location data, consumption habits, and digital footprints. The article highlights that authorities are increasingly focusing this surveillance apparatus on foreigners, especially journalists and citizens from Western countries.

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The essence of the system is simple, to process as much data as possible from as many sensors as possible in real time.