China plans to track Beijing citizens through their mobiles

03-07-2011 • guardian.co.uk

Government claims technology will ease transport congestion, but experts warn it could be used to control dissent Human rights activists believe the Chinese government is exploiting mobile technology to control unrest. Photograph: Michael Reynolds/EPA Human rights campaigners have expressed concerns over plans to track every mobile phone user in Beijing through global positioning technology. Chinese media reported this week that pilot schemes were being introduced for an "information platform of real-time citizen movement" to help with traffic management. Li Guoguang, deputy director of the Beijing municipal science and technology commission, said the project would be used to tackle congestion by allowing officials to monitor the flow of people through the transport system. "To some degree, [it] can effectively increase citizens' travelling efficiency and ease traffic jams," he told the Beijing Daily. He added that citizens would be able to buy the information, although m