Advances in the field of facial recognition and other biological identification technologies have made it possible for the Chinese government to build vast databases of biometric information on its citizens. Whether going to a restaurant or commuting to work, people can now be precisely scanned and identified, and in China’s case, with no oversight.

Chinese authorities claim these new technologies are only being used to increase public safety and security. But as RFA reports, critics fear they will be used as formidable tools of repression in a country with a poor track record on human rights.