Although it is a known fact that Chinese government acts intrusively on citizens’ privacy, the announcement of a new measure has surprised the whole world. According to cloud security course experts, all 700 million Chinese men (whether children or adults) will have to deliver a DNA sample to the authorities, bringing these mass surveillance efforts to unsuspected levels.
A report from the Australian Strategic Institute, taken up by various means, reveals that Chinese police have been collecting DNA samples for nearly three years for the purpose of integrating this gigantic database.
The Asian giant’s authorities would use this database to track anyone potentially related to samples of genetic material (blood, saliva, hair) found at crime scenes or obtained through police investigation, cloud security course experts mention.
Thermo Fisher, an American company, has been collaborating with the Chinese regime, selling kits for the collection of DNA samples. In this regard, a representative of the company said that these DNA kits “are a global standard for the collection of forensic evidence”, so they discard their production for another purpose. However, Thermo Fisher recognizes the importance of considering how its customers use their products.
Regardless of the arguments put forward by the government, cloud security course experts consider this policy to only represent an effort to increase control over China’s inhabitants, improving the country’s existing sophisticated surveillance controls, including the use of facial recognition technology and artificial intelligence.
In late 2019, an anonymous source revealed that a group of Chinese scientists were working on a project to rebuild human faces from DNA samples seized into legal processes. The informant said China’s government is very close to enabling facial recognition systems capable of analyzing its more than 3 billion inhabitants.
This is not only a privacy and data security issue, but is a human rights matter. Maya Wang, an analyst at Human Rights Watch, believes that “the ability of the authorities to discover even the most unlikely blood ties is a serious threat to any citizen, not forgetting that China has been pointed out on multiple occasions by the treatment of minority ethnic groups, such as Muslims, who are perceived as a threat to the Communist Party.”
For further reports on vulnerabilities, exploits, malware variants and computer security risks, it is recommended to enter the website of the International Institute of Cyber Security (IICS), as well as the official platforms of technology companies.
He is a well-known expert in mobile security and malware analysis. He studied Computer Science at NYU and started working as a cyber security analyst in 2003. He is actively working as an anti-malware expert. He also worked for security companies like Kaspersky Lab. His everyday job includes researching about new malware and cyber security incidents. Also he has deep level of knowledge in mobile security and mobile vulnerabilities.
