You're really dependent on your access to these platforms to be able to pay for things. So are people aware that if they are pushed off the platform or they're not allowed to use their account, that has real, live, real world consequences? Oh, absolutely. I mean, there's nothing more devastating if you're a Chinese person or you're in China than to lose access to WeChat. That is, you know, it's essentially Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, PayPal, Twitter, orbits, all combined into one.
China’s quest for social control is now playing out in ways that should worry us all. In this episode of the podcast, award-winning journalist Josh Chin explains how the Chinese government is weaving digital technology into every aspect of daily life from traffic patterns to food safety to emergency response. And he argues that this is a matter of global concern: Western governments encouraged their countries’ companies to sell China the technology it needed to build its surveillance state in the hope that economic and scientific engagement would lead to political reform. Not only did that plan backfire but now China is exporting its system to other countries such as India, Uganda, and Singapore. The host for this episode is Katie Stallard - Senior Editor, China and Global Affairs, at the New Statesman magazine.
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