Under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party, China is often referred to as a “surveillance state”, with surveillance cameras everywhere and comprehensive internet monitoring in place. Recently, a sanitation worker in Yuncheng, Shanxi, was reported to have to wear a locator while working, facing fines if they don’t move, raising concerns about the negative applications of technology.
On January 22, the topic of “Sanitation worker must wear a locator badge and will be fined for not moving” trended on Weibo.
According to reports from mainland media such as Xiao Xiang Morning News, Red Star News, and New Yellow River, on January 19, a sanitation worker in Yuncheng, Shanxi, cleaning snow was asked by a kind-hearted netizen, “Don’t you take a break on days like this?” The sanitation worker replied, “We all have to wear locators, we’ll be fined if we don’t move.”
When mainland media reporters contacted the Yuncheng Sanitation Center, staff stated that the workers wore badges with locators for safety purposes and to track their work progress. There are time limits for work, restrictions on rest time, and monitoring by designated personnel in the background along with verification by area managers.
The staff also mentioned, “Considering the age of sanitation workers, we cannot expect them to be constantly moving. Their physical stamina is taken into account, and fines are not imposed simply for being still.”
On January 22, the head of Yuncheng City’s Urban Sanitation Management Center stated during an interview that the badge is primarily used for work references and emergency assistance, not solely for monitoring sanitation workers. Supervisors, drivers, and vehicles also wear the badges, not just the sanitation workers.
In response to this, Chinese netizens commented, “When will Chinese people learn to treat their fellow citizens better?” “Most sanitation workers are honest elderly individuals.” “If they get injured at work, they don’t get proper compensation.” “I wonder if released convicts have to wear this too, they are supposed to be free individuals.”
Some netizens shared their experiences, “My grandparents used to work as sanitation workers and had to carry around some weird thing [smirking emoji] my grandma said if they didn’t move, someone would call. If they stepped out of a designated area, someone would call. They specifically targeted our elders.”
This news sparked discussions on platforms, “Once technology falls into the wrong hands, the people will suffer more.” “The next technological project might determine daily shovel blows, strength, and the number of heartbeats of workers to decide their wages?” “Think about the travel code during the pandemic, it’s pitiful.” “Similar to the drones in Hebei monitoring villagers burning coal for warmth.” “Technology should liberate human labor, but it’s being used to drain human nature, that’s the most ironic progress.”