Quote Originally Posted by Bill Moore View Post
Thanks, David, I was hoping you would provide some expert commentary on this issue. I agree with your point that crime is not a statistic, but most governments use data, arguably incorrectly, to inform their decisions. Assuming the data you provided would come to the same conclusions in other countries, then the data would undermine China's argument that the surveillance technology improves public security. Hard to argue it doesn't improve party control. I think there is a general perception that pervasive surveillance will reduce crime, but as you pointed out a few simple tricks hat and mask tricks can defeat it. Furthermore, if there isn't a credible response or post-event investigation then it serves little purpose.

Maybe when AI compliments surveillance technology the story will change, but for now, it seems the more we try to replace the beat cop with so-called modern approaches to law enforcement crime increases. Not unlike COIN, we had many small unit leaders in the U.S. who don't believe in presence patrols (beat cop). Yet it is a known fact that presence patrols deter insurgent activity, connect and increase trust between security forces with the local population, and increases situational awareness/intelligence. Simple common sense tactics almost always trump high-end sexy tactics (find, fix, finish) to achieve enduring stability.
As I understand it in China, the social scoring model to “nudge” positive behaviour incorporates local block wardens/informants.

Party “beat cops” as human observation sensors and behaviour “nudgers”?

Stasi informants mashed up with smart phones.

Agreed on the NYTimes article on Ecuador not being very convincing as it represents an earlier generation of surveillance technology.

CCTV combined with improving facial recognition, combined with gait analysis, combined with smartphone tracking, combined with e-commerce and media consumption, combined with social scoring, equals individualised/personalised analytics.

THX1138 with Chinese characteristics?

I know there are a few reports claiming A.I./ML based surveillance in China is overblown(comically in some case).

But if history is a teacher, we have consistently seen how linear human thinking over estimates the short term and way, way under estimates the long term application of new technology.