zlacker

>>el_dud+(OP)
>"China is using technology for the perfection of dictatorship." -Pete Buttigieg, 2020 US presidential candidate

PRC may be blazing the trail, but as the tech becomes proved and available, I won't be surprised to see creeping adoption in more "free" countries (especially following crises).

>>mLuby+wg
In China, surveillance is nationalized. In the US, it's nationalized (NSA) and privatized (Facebook). The tech already exists and people are using it willingly.

>>orthec+kB
I like your idea about nationalization vs privatization of national security, but it appears that your example about the US could also be applied to China - replace the NSA with China's MSS, and Facebook with Wechat.

However, large companies in China are tightly coupled with government when it comes to national security issues, while there is probably more pushback in the US.