Civilian proving a green health code by having a QR code scanned. Source: South China Morning Post
Chinese social media apps are used by over a billion people. The Chinese government is using the popularity of these apps and smartphones to aid in surveillance efforts relating to COVID-19. Major global technology companies are working on new devices and techniques to alert people if they could have been exposed to COVID-19.
WeChat and Weibo, which are more traditional social media websites as used in China, are being used to locate those who are potentially infected with COVID-19. The efforts on social media to track the virus are as simple as posting a message and pleading with the public to pass on the message to their followers. Social Media techniques were used to track down a bus that was thought to have 12 passengers who have been exposed to COVID-19 within hours, South China Morning Post reports. The license plate was shared on social media, and residents called into their local health authorities to report anyone they thought could have been a passenger on the bus. The efforts the Chinese Government is taking to contain the virus is as simple as sharing a post on social media.
A color-coded system designating a person's health is being tested in major cities in China. This began in the city of Hangzhou in correspondence with Ant Financial, the owner of Alipay, New York Times reports. The technology is an add-on to the popular wallet app Alipay and breaks down the health of civilians, simply, - into green, yellow, and red groups. Those with a green color code may travel freely, while those with a yellow or red color code may be denied access to certain locations and be asked to quarantine based on status severity. The app has become widely accepted within the area and up to 90% of the entire population of the province Hangzhou is located is signed on to use the app. Ant Financial is working with other cities within China to bring the technology country-wide.
People around China need a green health code to enter locations throughout the country. Source: Abacus
Modern technology and social media are critical in China’s response to tracing COVID-19. These color-coded QR codes aid the Chinese government’s surveillance efforts throughout the country. The new technology designed in response to the worldwide pandemic requires users provide real, personally identifiable information to utilize it, South China Morning Post reports. The location of users is sent to Ant Financial’s servers while officials are blatantly asking for the location of specific residents on social media. Residents may be forced to scan the new QR codes to ride a city bus or enter a market.