Britain could implement a Chinese-style "social monitoring" credit system if the fears of critics of 5G come true. The high speed network is now rolled out across the UK, with the government pledging full coverage by 2025. Construction is being led by Huawei, a Chinese tech giant that currently supplies the 3G and 4G technologies used by EE and Vodafone. But the US government has strongly opposed Huawei's involvement in UK 5Gs, even threatening to limit the intelligence it shares with Britain in the event of a deal.
In January, a delegation of senior Trump administration officials flew to the UK to present evidence of the security risks they say Huawei poses to the country. One of them said it would be "nothing short of madness" for Britain to let the company ship its 5G. Officials did not disclose details of their evidence, but one of them argued that China could potentially be annoyingly spying on the British by exploiting security vulnerabilities in software.
Tanja Rebel, an Isle of Wight activist and philosophy professor, says the US government is right, but their motives for banning Huawei in Britain are far from altruistic. “The US is aware of the dangers that Huawei poses to national security, as 5G will make us much more vulnerable to malicious foreign invasion,” she told Daily Star Online. “Of course, it's not easy to restrict Huawei, they go to any country with suspicious motives. This is why I think there is a competitive element to all of this: the US wants to thwart China's 5G development, and perhaps even slow down the UK's development, as the country that is the first to achieve comprehensive 5G coverage will have a significant competitive advantage as well as complete control. over its population.5G will entail the final control grid."
Ms Rebel said that the introduction of untested 5G technologies is "tantamount to attacking" the British population, she fears that the extensive network could be turned into a massive surveillance system. "Watch what is happening in China, where the digital social credit system is used to punish those who commit even the smallest violations, and where people are held in concentration camps where there is complete digital control." The powerful state of China, aided by high-tech facial recognition cameras on the streets, is implementing a controversial system that monitors citizens' behavior and rewards or punishes them accordingly.
Those who break the traffic rules, buy too many video games, or post fake news on the Internet receive low social trust points, while those who donate blood or volunteer receive high points. Points affect where people can travel, which schools their children can attend, and even their internet speed. Even the notorious "re-education camps" in the country are subject to round-the-clock surveillance. The Daily Star Online has reached out to Huawei for comment.
The United Nations has condemned the Chinese government over credible reports that more than a million Uyghurs, the country's Muslim minority, are being held in camps where they are tortured for loyalty to the state. Investigators also claimed that Uyghurs were being killed for organ harvesting. China has defended its attitude towards Muslims, arguing that those in the camps are treated well and that this initiative is successful in eliminating terrorism.
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