China's New Participatory Citizen Surveillance
China's Public Ministry of Public Security launches an ID service where mobile phone users can send text messages (SMS) to a government ID database as a way to confirm a person's identity. CDT says this is also available through the internet.
1.) Send SMS with a person's name and ID card number to ID database
2.) Sender receives an SMS from the gvt database that will either confirm the ID match or alert the sender that the ID is fake.
So China is embracing teamwork is this new service - you know allowing the network of people to participate can possibly yield more ID fakes. Yet, I suspect this won't take off with individuals, because the network won't participate if their own privacy and rights are at stake if they get involved. If one does "catch" a fake ID - then you may be brought in for questioning as a source of info - of course to help the authorities catch the ID faker. But knowing that Chinese people do not like to be bothered, where usually the sentiment is to not get involved with this kind of "outside mess" because there is just too much liability at stake, like detainment for having connections to the fake ID person. You have to keep in mind that by checking on someone else's ID you also reveal your own ID and all the other meta data involved.
However, I do think it will take off in the corporate world, where they can use this as a way to check an new hire's ID and there is less liability at stake since it's a business that is performing the ID check. Hoteliers and retailers have already welcomed this service.
China is just waiting for someone to invent an internet people search service, like ZABA SEARCH. I use this as a way to check new employee hires, new dates, and anyone weird - like confirming that Charlize Theron does have a house in Santa Barbara, and Uma Thermon has a place in NYC.
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