Well that didn't last long. Just 46 hours after Ai Weiwei set up four live webcams around his Beijing home to commemorate the first year anniversary of his 81-day arrest, the outspoken artist was told by government authorities to take them down. more ›

On the anniversary of his 81 day detainment, controversial Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has installed four live webcams in his home as a symbolic reference to the 24-hour police surveillance he has been under during the past year. He says the move is a gift to those who are worried for his safety, and also to the Public Security Bureau that is watching him day and night. more ›

Apparently, the current ID system for China's citizens is broke, and thus it must be fixed. The Global Times' tells us of a new ID information system that would strengthen and streamline the system currently in place. Writing in the political theory magazine Qiushi (求实), the 9th highest-ranked Politburo member Zhou Yongkang argues for the necessity of an improved ID database: more ›

Beijing is now taking a page from London, ensuring that CCTV (the cameras, not the TV station) will be EVERYWHERE. The "Video Beijing" security campaign, announced yesterday, will "ultimately wipe out any "dead area" unguarded in its "seamless coverage," says China Daily. Yipes! Will a Shanghai roll out be next? more ›

With the help of U.S. defense contractors, an estimated 2 million closed circuit tv-cameras or CCTVs for short (oh the irony) will be installed over the next three years in Shenzhen. The surveillance experiment is part of the heroically named Golden Shield Project (Patriot Act, anyone?) which also gave birth to another of our favorite censorship models the Great Firewall. more ›