Commentators here making comparisons like this is only a degree more extreme than what happens in the US either have not idea what China is like or have no idea what the US is like. China already requires identity verification for getting a phone number or using the internet. This is one step further in a rapid march toward totalitarianism. Submitting a low-res photo for your driver’s license, it should be plainly obvious, is not similar as some have suggested. The US allows anonymous phone numbers, anonymous internet access, doesn’t have a vast network of millions of surveillance cameras tracking their citizens every movement. China is only just now getting around to using facial scanning for things, because their tech is only just now good enough. Pretending that your democracy doesn’t exist is an insult to the billions of people who aren’t so lucky to enjoy it’s benefits.
