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China is using mass surveillance tech to fight new coronavirus spread

By Donna Lu

19 February 2020

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Drivers in some areas have to scan QR codes before entering a city

Lai Li/Xinhua/Alamy Live News

IN A bid to contain the country’s coronavirus outbreak, the Chinese government has teamed up with tech firms to monitor citizens and track confirmed cases of infection with the covid-19 virus.

On 16 February, Alipay – the world’s largest mobile payments platform – announced that a colour-coded QR phone app to monitor individuals in China would be available within a week.

The app assigns individuals a QR code with a red, yellow or green status based on their travel history and self-reported health. Anyone flagged…

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