Handling COVID-19 with big data in China: increasing ‘governance capacity’ or ‘function creep’?

Abstract

Building a national system of social governance (guojia zhili tixi), which is the long-running governance dream of Xi Jinping, has triggered the creation of China's 'smart state' using the tools of new information technologies to advance governance capacity (zhili nengli). These systems were already deployed nationally when the COVID-19 pandemic hit China, but were connected at a lesser capacity, targeting specific domains of security, industry or government administration. In response to the crisis, multiple technologies have been merged, exceeding the scope of their originally intended functions. This is known as function creep, when surveillant technologies remain functional past achievement of their intended purpose, or surveillant assemblages, where multiple surveillant technologies are combined. As more countries turn to digitalisation to increase public security and intensify social and market governance, the expansion of surveillant functions in China and their now-palpable effects on people's lives raises new and pressing questions for scholars and decision-makers alike.

Organizational resilience under COVID-19: the role of digital technology in R&D investment and performance

“…, 2021). Diversified firms are thus more dependent on digital technologies and can benefit more from high R&D investments (Bernot et al. , 2021).…”

“…The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/0263-5577.htm occurred (Bernot et al, 2021). Digital technologies such as telecommuting, smart factories and digital workshops have become an advantage for some firms in traditional industries to resist the epidemic (Ai et al, 2022).…”

“…Diversified firms require more coordination and control than centralized firms due to their broader scope of operation (Baysinger and Hoskisson, 1989;Berrill et al, 2021). Diversified firms are thus more dependent on digital technologies and can benefit more from high R&D investments (Bernot et al, 2021). During the COVID-19 epidemic, diversification somewhat spread out the business risks.…”

“…, 2020). As a result, those firms with high digitization were more resilient when the COVID-19 epidemic occurred (Bernot et al. , 2021).…”

China's COVID‐19 pandemic response: A first anniversary assessment

“…Here, similarly to war periods, the crisis needs created a period of exemption for technologies to be trialed. This merging made possible the comprehensive oversight of the population and comprehensive popular self‐policing (Lawson & Xu, 2007 ), and allowed government authorities scrutinize people's lives on an intimate level, oppressing undesirable behaviors (Bernot et al, 2021 ). The resulting practice of selective quarantine contrasted with practices in most countries where entire populations were ordered to self‐isolate.…”