One of China’s biggest provinces is developing a rigorous surveillance system said to target “suspicious people”, such as journalists and international students. Documents reviewed by Reuters reveal that the Henan Province of China plans to build an interconnected surveillance technology network.
Reuters has reviewed a near-200-page tender document from the Henan Public Security Department that shines light on plans for widespread surveillance technology in the province. The document was deviseed to encourage Chinese companies to throw their name in the ring to develop the technology required for the project.
On September 17, Chinese company NeuSoft won the bid and agreed to take on the project.
The technology would harness the power of 3,000 facial recognition cameras that would then connect to regional and national databases. The information gleaned from the cameras would be used to “compile individual files on…persons of interest,” Reuters reports. Persons of interest allegedly include journalists, international students, and “women from neighbouring countries that are illegal residents”.
The tender document provides no insight into why these people are being specifically targeted.
The documents do, however, reveal a “traffic light system” set to categorise journalists according to their level of risk. Journalists who fall into the red category would be “dealt with”.
“Suspicious persons must be tailed and controlled, dynamic research analyses and risk assessments made, and the journalists dealt with according to their category,” Reuters reports the tender document reads.
The technology would also be used to set off “warnings” in the case of events like a journalist checking into a hotel or crossing the provincial border.
Additionally, the tender document emphasizes that facial recognition cameras would need to be able to register faces even when they are covered by a mask or sunglasses. Targeted groups would need to be easily searchable based on their facial features.
Once developed, the system would be employed and operated by upwards of 2,000 policemen and officials. The Henan Province is the third largest in the country based on population, housing over 99 million people.
