[tejaswiy]

> Beijing has been developing a nationwide facial recognition system using surveillance cameras capable of identifying any person, anywhere, around the clock within seconds.

So before all the privacy activists are up in arms, this is pretty incredible and it looks like they're getting pretty close to eliminating all violent crime. I think that's an incredible achievement if they can pull it off. In an even broader historical context, individualism and capitalism have had their run for 100+ years, maybe this is the rise of a new ideological movement.

[kbenson]

There are many theoretical ways to eliminate violent crime that would be to most people's eyes vastly worse than letting crime continue, so it's dangerous to elevate one metric above all others.

Here are some theoretical ways to eliminate all crime which would likely be worse for everyone:

- Eliminate all people

- Keep all people physically separated from each other.

- Remove all freedom of expression or free will from people.

Those are, obviously, some of the most extreme possible ways to accomplish that goal, but it does illustrate that there's an obvious trade off being made, and that even in cases where it might not be as obvious as these, we should identify and think about the consequences of that trade.

[thaumasiotes]

> So before all the privacy activists are up in arms, this is pretty incredible and it looks like they're getting pretty close to eliminating all violent crime.

To be fair, Chinese people anywhere in the world have exceptionally low rates of committing violent crime, and this has been true since long before anyone started a facial recognition program.

[yters]

Since nothing a government does is a crime, by definition, then by consolidating all crimes, violent and otherwise, to the government then we have eliminated all evil! Brilliant!

[PlasticTank]

> getting pretty close to eliminating all violent crime

Clearly you haven't been on YouTube lately, China must be the world capital of getting stabbed on CCTV.

[ardy42]

> So before all the privacy activists are up in arms, this is pretty incredible and it looks like they're getting pretty close to eliminating all violent crime.

Even if it's successful, it will only be used to eliminate the crimes committed by people without connections. Powerful and connected people will be allowed to get away with crimes.

[georgyo]

"There is no murder in paradise."

[jjcc]

Violent crime rate is very low because of another reason: Security cameras everywhere. Criminals are either already in jail because of more efficient policing, or stop doing stupid things after watching the real stories on TV about how criminals were caught.

[lettergram]

> eliminating all violent crime

You mean, if it’s real and even if it does work that well, besides the state sponsored kind?

China has millions of people in internment and retraining camps...

Regarding your “new ideological movement” comment. It’s not really... we saw the same ideology (to a less effective level) in all dictatorships and communist countries. Secret police, thought police, etc.

[chrischen]

We have millions of black people incarcerated, the result of systematic discrimination over generations.

I'd also like to point out your statement doesn't really add to the conversation as any people in prison, or considered an enemy of the state can be spun politically.

[anonthos3261]

The US State department says at most 800,000 are in these de-radicalization centers. Where are you getting the “millions of people” from?

[Myrth]

Watch "Person of Interest" show

[Waterluvian]

One good reason for having many countries is we can run lots of different experiments on how to govern.

Totally ignoring all the humans rights fears, this sure is fascinating.

[randall]

I mean that's the thing, China is going to implement it, we get to see what happens, and I don't think there's much we can do to stop it. I'm interested in seeing how historians look at this period of human history since it will theoretically be so objectively (? maybe? At least plentifully.) documented.