China removes app over cruise-hit cities

In a government-sponsored application, China has abolished the use of a zodiac sign indicating that an individual has traveled abroad or to a city with covine infections. This app was first launched 27 months ago and raised some questions.

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced on June 29, 2010 that the cancellation of travel history in the Covd-affected areas would allow travel to facilitate downtown travel and balance Kovid restrictions and economic development.

The breaking news has become a hot topic on Chinese social media. Since 6 p.m., related topics have garnered over 360 million views and over 50,000 discussions.

The so-called app represents the largest data travel record known as the March 2020 Travel Code issued by the China Academy of Information and Communication Technology and three telecommunications giants – China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom. – Guide by MIIT. Tracks the travel history of mobile phone users, including the countries they have visited in the past two weeks and the Chinese cities they have visited for more than four hours.

In mainland China, people had to provide both a travel code and a health QR code before entering public places, although there were only occasional outbreaks in the country according to COVID monitoring requirements.

Mixed response

The move has been praised by Chinese Internet users, who see it as an encouraging step in relaxing the control of Kovid and restoring China’s economy.

Some analysts, however, question the legitimacy of the Communist regime. Officials are unsure whether they will use a star in the future.

“Eliminating the stars does not mean that the Communist Party of China is releasing its digital dictatorship,” said Wen Zhao, a Chinese news analyst. He said China could not recover its economy while the zero-copy policy was in place.

In fact, a day before the announcement, Chinese leader Xi Jinping reaffirmed his zero-copy policy during a visit to Wuhan. “In general, if taken [dynamically clearing-to-zero] The measures are very economical and effective, ”Xi said.

On Twitter, a network calling itself Old Hu has argued that neither the Chinese travel card nor the health code can properly prevent the epidemic. They serve large data monitoring.

“Understanding this, the [big] Information helps to create a big prison. ” ”[That] A red code, a zodiac — a digital chain that restricts your freedom of movement.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Frank U is a Canadian-based Epoch Times reporter covering Chinese news. He holds a master’s degree in English language and literature from Tianjin University of Foreign Studies in China.