https://www.ft.com/content/b74b6ad6-3b8 ... 49754aa1c7China’s tech workers pushed to their limits by surveillance software
En pasteta koko jöötiä, mutta tässä otteita.
Working from their floor in a downtown high-rise, the start-up’s hundreds of employees were constantly, uncomfortably aware of being under Third Eye’s intent gaze.
The software would also automatically flag “suspicious behaviour” such as visiting job-search sites or video streaming platforms. “Efficiency” reports would be generated weekly, summarising employees’ time spent by website and application.
The Shenzhen-based company sells services that can access employees’ mobile browsing history and application usage records once their phones are connected to company WiFi, according to sales materials seen by Nikkei. The service requires no prior approval from users, and can block selected mobile apps that are considered counterproductive to work, such as short video platform Douyin and Twitter-like social network Weibo.
A Chinese subsidiary of Japanese camera maker Canon, Canon Information Technology, last year unveiled a new workspace management system that only allows smiling employees to enter the office and book conference rooms. Using so-called “smile recognition” technology, Canon said the system was intended to bring more cheerfulness to the office in the post-pandemic era.
Zhongduantong, a Beijing-based software company, developed a work-reporting mobile application that requires workers to check in at designated locations within a certain timeframe and upload a picture of the surrounding environment as proof through the app.
The use of such real-time tracking apps led to the Rmb200 ($31) fine of a sales manager in the northern city of Shenyang, who was found to be visiting a housing fund centre for personal reasons during their lunch break, Xinhua News Agency reported in 2018.
Tänään Kiinassa, huomenna meillä? Täältä päin palloa löytyy (ainakin toistaiseksi) lakeja, jotka estävät pahimmat perseilyt, mutta aivan saletisti löytyy liskoja jotka haluaisivat vastaavat systeemit meillekin. Ja rahastahan se loppupeleissä on kiinni.In some more controversial cases, technology, including remote sensors, was used to monitor the time workers spent in toilets. Short video platform operator Kuaishou Technology sparked an online backlash last year after the company was found to have installed a countdown timer above each of its office’s toilet cubicles. Amid an online backlash, the company said the timers were installed for testing purposes and had been removed.
Alibaba has also developed an internet-connected smart toilet system where an infrared detector is installed to monitor the occupancy and odour of each toilet cell.