Dissident Ai Weiwei says US surveillance could encourage Beijing
America's surveillance programme could spur China and other countries to expand their efforts, Ai warns
Bombshell revelations about the United States’ wide-reaching surveillance programmes could spur China and other countries to expand their own efforts, Beijing-based dissident Ai Weiwei warned on Wednesday.
America’s huge dragnet of internet and phone data, exposed in recent days through leaks and reports, has triggered a heated debate about privacy and national security.
Chinese social media users have made comparisons to their own government, which conducts extensive domestic surveillance and faces mounting accusations of aggressive cyber-spying abroad.
The high-profile outspoken artist said America’s behaviour was especially worrying because the country played a leading role in setting internet norms.
“The US has the edge in technology. It’s a leader. Many of the rules about information the ethics, the laws, will be set by these leading countries,” Ai told AFP.
