China’s “Watchful Eye” App Turns Everyday Life into a Red‑Line Test
Picture this: a phone app that’s more about watching your every move than about sending emojis. In Xinjiang, authorities are using a mobile tool tied to the massive Integrated Joint Operations Platform (IJOP) to flag Muslim residents as suspicious, even when they’re just living their normal lives.
What the App Is Doing
- Collects data from cameras, wifi sniffers, bank accounts and home visits.
- Looks for 36 “behaviour types” that are supposedly risky—like not mingling with neighbours or using an “abnormal” amount of electricity.
- Calls police to investigate if a person changed their phone number or if they left the country and haven’t come back after 30 days.
- Even checks whether the resident is using any of 51 internet tools (WhatsApp, LINE, Telegram, etc.) that the system flags as suspicious.
Bottom line: The app tells officers to file reports and send out investigative missions whenever it spots any of these red‑line behaviours.
How It Works (and Why It’s a Problem)
The data comes from a network of sensors that track phones, ID cards, cars, and even electricity usage. The system doesn’t need a formal law—Chinese officials can decide what counts as “illegal” on the fly.
When people download apps like WhatsApp or a VPN, the app flags them, and many have already been detained for such innocent tech hacks. This creates a climate where folks feel the whole time that their “completely lawful” actions are under scrutiny.
Behind the Tech
The app was built by Hebei Far East Communication System Engineering Company (HBFEC), a subsidiary of the state‑owned China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC). Washington has already put export controls on companies like HBFEC because of national‑security concerns.
Future Fears
Cybersecurity experts warn that the data collected now could be used for even more advanced policing algorithms in the future. “The system is a blunt instrument—yet the data it stores could become a springboard for smarter, steeper surveillance tools,” says one analyst.
Why This Matters
International observers say that a million+ Uighurs and other Muslim minorities have been squeezed into internment camps in Xinjiang. With every phone tap and electricity meter read, the authorities are tightening their net, making it easier to single out anyone who deviates from the “accepted” behavior.
In short, these apps are turning everyday life into a high‑stakes test of who’s on the “good” side and who’s “not.” It’s a craft that keeps more people in a state of constant anxiety—and a situation that’s drawing global condemnation.
