Coronavirus brings China's surveillance state out of the shadows
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-surveillance-idUSKBN2011HO
Telecoms companies have long quietly tracked the movements of their users. China Mobile (0941.HK) promoted this as a service this week, sending text messages to Beijing residents telling them they can check where they have been over the past 30 days. It did not explain why users might need this, but it could be useful if they are questioned by the authorities or their employers about their travel.
โIn the era of big data and internet, the flow of each person can be clearly seen. So we are different from the SARS time now,โ epidemiologist Li Lanjuan said in an interview with Chinaโs state broadcaster CCTV last week, comparing the outbreak to a virus that killed 800 people in 2003.