US Tech Seeds Surveillance Abroad, Denounces It At Home
Mainstream media conveniently 'discovers' that Chinese surveillance tech, ubiquitous thanks to companies like Hikvision and Huawei, is underpinned by US components. The Independent highlights how China deployed these systems, often with AWS cloud computing, to monitor ethnic minorities and maintain control—a fact known for years in human rights reports. It’s almost as if the 'free market' doesn't
care whose oppression it enables, so long as the quarterly earnings look good. One might ask if 'free world' tech companies have a responsibility beyond profit, or if their moral compass only spins when a congressional hearing looms. This isn't a bug; it's a feature. The same US government now 'condemning' China's surveillance tactics has historically turned a blind eye to its own tech companies,
allowing them to provide critical infrastructure to regimes globally. It appears principle is a luxury reserved for geopolitical rivals, not for regulating lucrative contracts. How many more populations must be monitored, cataloged, and controlled before Silicon Valley recalls the 'do no evil' mantra?