An explosive AP investigation revealed that US tech companies enabled surveillance and detention in China, supplying hardware, software, and services that helped build one of the world’s most far-reaching state surveillance systems. Over the past 25 years, firms like IBM, Cisco, Microsoft, Intel, Dell, and others have contributed critical technology used to monitor and detain hundreds of thousands, especially ethnic minorities.
Aiding the Digital Police State
American companies provided billions in tools to Chinese police and surveillance agencies. Their contributions included AI-powered predictive policing systems, facial and fingerprint recognition, DNA tracking kits designed to target minorities, and sophisticated internet censorship tools. These systems enabled authorities to identify, track, and detain individuals without due process. As a result, the Chinese surveillance and detention enabled by US firms facilitated widespread human rights abuses across the country, especially in Xinjiang.
Building the Golden Shield
One high-profile example involved IBM’s technology. The company, working through a Chinese defense contractor, helped design the “Golden Shield” system, an integrated network that censors the internet and supports surveillance efforts nationwide. Internal leaks and classified blueprints confirmed IBM’s role in creating high-level analysis platforms used by China’s Ministry of State Security.
Collateral Tech and Ethical Blind Spots
Beyond IBM, companies like NVIDIA, Intel, Dell, HP, Oracle, Thermo Fisher, and others contributed essential components, such as data storage, AI chips, cloud services, and DNA collection tools. Investigators found that these technologies were often knowingly marketed and sold to Chinese law enforcement, despite growing global awareness of their misuse.
Critics argue these sales violated the spirit of U.S. export laws. Meanwhile, companies have denied wrongdoing, citing compliance with the regulations in effect at the time.
Real People, Real Costs
The investigation spotlighted individual tragedies as well. One family in Jiangsu province, known as the Yangs, found themselves trapped in a bizarre surveillance spiral over a property dispute. The system flagged them as threats, leading to repeated targeting and detention even though they had no ties to extremist or political activity.
Meanwhile, Xinjiang’s Uyghur community experienced the most harrowing impact. Predictive algorithms and facial recognition helped authorities detain hundreds of thousands under the guise of counterterrorism. The technology turned neighborhoods into watch zones and hospitals into biometric data repositories, according to exiled employees and human rights advocates.
A Broader Wake-Up Call
The findings raise urgent global questions about tech export ethics and corporate responsibility. Even as Western governments tighten export restrictions, the embedded technology remains a core part of China’s surveillance apparatus. This case serves as a stark reminder that innovations in policing tech must carry moral and legal accountability, especially when they suppress fundamental human rights.
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