China may be clamping down on the movement of protesters and journalists in the country by controlling their QR codes, much to the chagrin of one independent journalist who vented his frustration on social media.
According to a report by Reuters, human rights organizations have sounded the alarm that the Chinese government could take advantage of its COVID-19 safety protocols to squash dissent in the country, with a green code required on an app to access transportation, eateries and malls. Jordan Schachtel, an independent journalist, noted on Twitter that the government was using the system for nefarious reasons, turning codes to red to restrict individuals’ movements.
"Today, the CCP blocked a protest by switching citizens' QR codes to prevent freedom of movement," he tweeted.
Schachtel’s tweet referenced the Reuters report that noted the Chinese government was using the QR codes to thwart the movements of people protesting banks that were freezing their funds to control their movement and head off protests.
According to the Reuters report, without a green code on the smartphone app, a person cannot gain access to public transportation or travel cross-country. The alleged abuse of the QR code system, according to the report, is an example of the concerns that many people have been expressing.
“I can't do anything, I can't go anywhere,” a man named Liu told Reuter. He declined to give his full name for fear of reprisal from the government. “You're treated as though you're a criminal. It infringes on my human rights.”
Moreover, Reuters reported that banks in the Henan province have been freezing financial assets for months, with their efforts closing off $178 million, creating issues for both companies and individuals. The report noted that companies have had problems paying employees and gaining access to savings, and some people said their codes turned red after they had planned to travel to Henan.