China is installing surveillance cameras in front doors of people who need to go on quarantine so that the government can check on them 24 hours a day.
On Apr. 15, Irish ex-pat Ian Lahiffe shared on his Twitter account a photo of a surveillance camera that the police installed when they returned to their home in Beijing. They went on 14-day quarantine after a trip to Southern China.
While the government has no official advice about having a camera set up in houses of those in quarantine, people have been posting about it on social media.
Lahiffe said in his post that he did not give the police access to his Wi-Fi, so he is unsure whether the camera actually works. But regardless, he claims it as an invasion of his privacy.
On Tuesday, Apr. 28, he sent another photo on Twitter, showing that the camera has already been removed after they completed the 14-day quarantine. "Ready to get back to "normal," the 34-year old dad said.
Day 14, the camera is gone! Ready to get back to ‘normal.’ pic.twitter.com/M5dGPxsdiC — Ian Lahiffe (@lahiffei) April 28, 2020
CNN reported on Wednesday that since February, cameras are already being installed in some cities, based on stories shared by at least three people in social media.
Extensive use of technology
China has shifted to digital surveillance on people who undergo quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic.
In 2017, according to state broadcaster CCTV, there were over 20 million CCTV installed all over China. However, other sources show much higher figures.
A report from IHS Markit Technology, which is now a part of Informa Tech, shows that China had installed 349 million surveillance cameras in 2018. This is nearly five times the number of cameras in the United States.
Based on the number of cameras per 1,000 people, the UK-based technology research firm Comparitech reported that China got eight of the world's 10 most surveyed cities.
However, as the coronavirus struck the country since December, surveillance cameras have moved from public spaces to their private spaces: in their front door and even inside their apartments.
The cameras are said to be used to monitor those in quarantine throughout the day.
Since its first coronavirus case in December, last year, there are now a total of 84,347, from which 77,578 have recovered and 4,643 died.
While CNN has requested for comment from China's National Health Commission, but the Ministry of Public Security did not accept the faxed requests.
Rules on Surveillance Cameras
China has no specific law regulating surveillance camera usage, but it already has become people who have already get used to it while in public areas.
In 2016, the Ministry of Public Security had drafted the regulation on security cameras, but it is still waiting for confirmation from the national legislature. Meanwhile, local governments have created their own regulations on cameras specific to their locale.
Beijing-based lawyer Tong Zongjin told CNN that installing cameras outside a person's front door remains "in a legal gray area."
"The area outside a person's front door is not part of their private residence and is considered a communal space. But the camera can be monitoring something personal, such as when the individual leaves and comes home," he added.
Meanwhile, having the authorities install these cameras during a pandemic to keep in control makes the issue more complex," said Tong.
"If surveillance cameras are placed in public places, there's no problem -- they can monitor and deter unlawful acts. But they shouldn't appear in our private spaces," said William Zhou, a resident of ChangZhou, adding that he is concerned that his everyday lives are under the scrutiny of the government.
