Surveillance Systems and Internet Rules: Blunting China’s Techno-Totalitarianism

American policy must address the very real security concerns that China presents.

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Hello, and happy Thursday! On this date in 1961, astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. made a 15-minute suborbital flight, becoming America’s first space traveler. And now, 61 years later, a civilian company will be returning three astronauts to Earth tomorrow. 

Today’s newsletter has two related stories. The first discusses a possible ramping up of U.S. sanctions against a Chinese surveillance company and the second explains how Iran is following the Chinese model of internet surveillance. Taken together, these stories try to explain why aggressive action is critical if Washington wants to blunt Beijing’s development and export of techno-totalitarianism. I hope it’s helpful. 

Biden Administration Zooming In on Hikvision 

The Biden administration is considering adding China’s Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co. to the U.S. Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) and Blocked Persons List, according to multiple news sources. The company specializes in surveillance technologies and is being targeted for supporting massive human rights violations against ethnic and religious minorities in China. A final decision on the sanctions isn’t expected until next month, but Bloomberg reports the company’s stock has already dropped 10 percent. 

Hikvision was blocked from operating in the United States in 2019, and the Biden administration issued an executive order last year prohibiting American investments in the company. If added to the SDN, so-called “secondary sanctions” could punish anyone around the world who continues to do business with the company. This would be an unprecedented action against a large Chinese technology company. 

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  1. Avatar photo
    Kbroot

    Catching up on important reading today. Another easy to comprehend piece.

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  2. Mathew A

    excellent but terrifying article.

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    Ben Connelly

    I’ll try to be discreet in what I say here. But it’s an illustrative story. Klon, if you think I should delete this comment for OPSEC purposes, I will.

    In 2019 when HikVision was finally blocked by the Trump admin, I was working for DOD at a naval base. I remember hearing on the radio about the ban and I recognized the name of the company. Why? Because I’d seen their logo on some pieces of technology in an OSS that I worked in at the time. Luckily, I believe that was remedied in short order after that.

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  4. Kurt Von Fuchs

    Very nice article thank you. I know you never mentioned Israel which is also selling this type of technology to brutal dictators around the world

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    MatthewRobin

    Reuters reported in 2018 that China is working with Venezuela on a social credit system for them and now China works with Iran on gating their internet.

    After reading Hannah Arendt's Origins of Totalitarianism, I thank Klon for using techno-totalitarianism to describe China's system.

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  6. Payette

    Useful & unsettling information. I agree with the idea of a podcast re China, with Scott Lincecum, Jonah, David, & Steve.

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      Anne W (Raw5254)

      Dispatch Live would also be a good one for this.

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  7. learnin4life

    This is great background information for people like myself who don't live and breathe tech. Thank you.

    It should be somewhat chilling to those seeking more affordable tech in the US that there is a good possibility some portion of whatever data is captured could be funneled to less than friendly regimes. I always appreciated there was a personal price to pay for using social tech, but considering use of some forms of hard tech could aid and abet steps up the level of concern significantly.

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  8. Natty Bumpo

    Thanks for this Klon, this story is another great eye-opener.

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    JohnM.

    Another excellent and nerve-wracking newsletter.
    I have a DJI Mavic drone I use for photography. It's never hooked up to the internet in any way. Do I have any cause for concern? Thanks for everything, Klon.

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  10. Lee Suedmeyer

    Seems like the US Ministry of Truth just announced is taking us down the road of China and Iran.

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