bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

quizIds

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

paywallTypes

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Karen Chiu

This article originally appeared on ABACUS
You’re an inmate at a Beijing prison. You just ran out of toothpaste, so you decide to buy a new tube at the commissary. But wait, you don’t have enough cash.
Fear not: There might be money in your electronic wallet.
Digital payment is an ubiquitous part of daily lives in China. Now the technology is going behind bars, forming part of the Beijing government’s plan to build what it calls a “smart prison”.
Using Alibaba’s payment app Alipay, family members can now pass money to a prisoner. First, they take a photo of the inmate’s national ID card. Once it’s verified, the inmate can receive a maximum of 1,000 yuan (around US$147) each month from a relative.
(Abacus is a unit of the South China Morning Post, which is owned by Alibaba.)

For better or worse, the proliferation of smartphones and apps has provided security agencies with new tools to do their jobs.
Beijing’s citizens, for example, can pay traffic fines with Alipay or WeChat Pay. Offenders only have to scan a QR code on their traffic tickets. For bikers and jaywalkers who are caught red-handed, they even have the choice of paying on the spot by scanning a QR code provided by the officer -- perfect for those in a rush.
Smartphones are also giving private citizens an easier way to participate in policing themselves. In the southern tech hub of Shenzhen and other cities, people can report traffic violations to police through Alipay and WeChat.
Informants are asked to fill out a form, including information such as the car plate of the offending vehicle and photos showing the scene. Users are required to grant the app access to their GPS location. For all that work, the Shenzhen Traffic Police say they will reward money to successful informants. The amount ranges from 20 yuan (US$2.96) for reporting on someone driving on a lane reserved for public vehicles, to 20,000 yuan (US$2,957) for a serious car crash involving more than three deaths.

While the use of new technology to gather fines and crime information seems harmless enough, other applications have drawn more questions.
Last year, a facial recognition company said it was in talks to build a camera system that would identify jaywalkers and let police send warnings and fines directly to their phones or social media accounts. These facial recognition systems are widely adopted across China -- but they aren’t always accurate. Back in November, one such system mistook the face of a woman on a bus ad for a jaywalker. (She also happens to be one of the country’s most famous businesswomen.)
Smart ID cards and facial recognition: How China spreads surveillance tech around the world

For more insights into China tech, sign up for our tech newsletters, subscribe to our Inside China Tech podcast, and download the comprehensive 2019 China Internet Report. Also roam China Tech City, an award-winning interactive digital map at our sister site Abacus.



OKX envisions future running on blockchain as crypto exchange shifts focus from Hong Kong

Alibaba’s Amap offers ride-hailing function catering to foreign visitors in China

Ant Group’s global unit pulls in US$3 billion in revenue ahead of spin-off

Mainland bank in Hong Kong investigates unauthorised transactions on FPS platform

Mobile payments

Even prisons accept mobile payment in China’s cashless society

The Shenzhen Traffic Police say I need to follow their WeChat account to qualify for a reward, which is certainly one way to get more followers. (Picture: Shenzhen Traffic Police Bureau via WeChat)


The Beijing Municipal Prison says online payment is available on ecommerce platforms and medical services in its facilities. (Picture: Beijing Municipal Prison)

Abacus

Tech

Big Tech

Alipay lets families send money to loved ones in jail


Whenever I need to stress to someone just how widespread mobile payment is in China, I usually say that even street vendors accept it. But I think I'm going to have to update that example to "even prisons take it!"
