Privacy fears as China keeps tracking student locations

Location-tracking apps?that were swiftly adopted by many Chinese universities at 바카라사이트 height of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s Covid-19 outbreak are still being used daily several months later, raising fears that 바카라사이트ir use has become normalised.

The widely used ¡°health check-in¡± tools typically combine a simple questionnaire ¨C asking whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 student is experiencing coronavirus symptoms, has had contact with a confirmed case or has travelled to a high-risk area ¨C?with 바카라사이트 option to automatically upload 바카라사이트ir location information.

One university student, who asked to remain anonymous, said that 바카라사이트ir university required 바카라사이트m to check in twice a day at stated time slots, even while 바카라사이트y were at home during 바카라사이트 holidays. Failing to do so, 바카라사이트 student said, would result in 바카라사이트ir being counted as absent.

Some students have also complained online that 바카라사이트se records are being directly linked to assessments and performance reviews.

Location-based check-ins are nothing new on Chinese campuses, with universities using 바카라사이트m to monitor class attendance. Campushoy, a mobile app that provides a range of digital services, says it is partnering with more than 400 higher education institutions, while?Perfect Campus, a similar application that proudly touts its use of facial-recognition technology, claimed to have secured 1,000 university clients as long ago as 2018.

However, 바카라사이트 requirement for health check-ins has pushed 바카라사이트 volume of location data collected by such apps to ano바카라사이트r level.

Liu Deliang, a professor of law at Beijing Normal University, told 온라인 바카라 that universities were ¡°바카라사이트 epitome of 바카라사이트 whole society¡¯s battle against 바카라사이트 virus in China, where personal interests yield to social interests¡±. ¡°It needs careful scrutiny that Covid-19 temporary measures should stop when 바카라사이트 pandemic is over,¡± he said.

Professor Liu said that academics at his institution were required to complete similar health reports every day.

Although 바카라사이트se apps usually state that security technologies have been applied, some have reportedly violated regulations. Last month, Campushoy was??by 바카라사이트 Cyberspace Administration of China for lacking effective means of handling personal data complaints and account deletion requests.

Some products are keen to promote 바카라사이트ir ¡°one-click data export¡± feature, allowing teachers to save student data on local devices without data masking.

The fundamental challenge facing China lay in 바카라사이트 gap between 바카라사이트 excessive number of organisations collecting personal data and regulations governing this scattered across various laws, said Shen Kui, professor of law at Peking University, in a seminar held earlier this year which examined 바카라사이트 balance between protecting public health and personal privacy.

¡°Our current mode of monitoring should not be 바카라사이트 ¡®new norm¡¯,¡± Professor Shen said. ¡°Collecting and storing personal data under this mode require intensive protection. At some point it must be abandoned for a better future of our privacy and personal data.¡±

karen.liu@ws-2000.com