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According to a recording of a phone conversation between a protester and police released by broadcaster CNN, Chinese authorities are using cell phone data to track people who have been protesting the government’s strict Covid restrictions in Beijing.
Hundreds of protesters rallied by Beijing’s Liangma River on Sunday evening (27th) demanding an end to Covid testing and lockdowns. Some also condemned the censorship of the Xi Jinping dictatorship and called for more political freedoms.
According to the protester, on Wednesday (30th) he received a call from a police officer who revealed that the contact was traced because his cellphone signal was recorded near the protest site. According to a recording of the overheard phone call CNNthe protester was asked if he was near the Liangma River on Sunday evening. When denying, the policeman would have asked: “Then why is your cell phone number here?”.
The protester was also instructed to report to a police station for questioning and to sign a written report.