
Chinese database is tracking cellphone usage, car location and more - onetimemanytime
https://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Chinese-database-is-tracking-cellphone-usage-car-13812775.php
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fock
We can't say we didn't know... Still, human forgetfulness is probably even
more enshrined in society than it was 80 years ago.

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jstanley
In other news, every (developed) country is tracking cellphone usage, car
location, and electricity usage in _every_ city.

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will4274
From the article:

> The IJOP system, which keeps track of practically the entire Xinjiang
> population, alerts authorities when a person unexpectedly crosses virtual
> "fences" by driving past a certain checkpoint or checking into a hotel

Is there a western country where the government gets push notifications each
time a citizen travels too far from home?

Pointing out similar privacy problems of other modern governments is fine, but
trying to excuse the worst of the worst (China) by claiming it happens
everywhere is a false equivalency.

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jstanley
I wasn't trying to excuse anything! I was pointing out that the problem is
much broader than China.

But you're right that I only read the headline, and the article does make it
sound worse than the headline did :).

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CharlesColeman
> I wasn't trying to excuse anything! I was pointing out that the problem is
> much broader than China.

> But you're right that I only read the headline...

Please don't do that. Your hot take based on the headline was identical in
form if not intent to a propaganda technique called whataboutism, which is
meant to _distract_ attention away from _particular_ abuses.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whataboutism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whataboutism)

