A bizarre incident recently occurred at my company. My manager, experiencing a medical emergency, wanted to send a colleague home after a minor mistake. When the colleague refused, the manager dug up old CCTV footage from months ago, claiming the colleague's negligence caused damage to company facilities, and used this as grounds to reduce his bonus.
Subsequently, he was reassigned to a different position. After two days, the colleague refused, citing a significant difference in job responsibilities. The manager again used this as grounds to further reduce his bonus, until he was almost left with only his basic salary. Then, the manager threatened to reassign him again. This is actually a common illegal layoff tactic in China.
Leaving aside labor law issues, what I'm thinking is that with cameras everywhere, what do you all think of this invasion of privacy?
In our company, for example, there are cameras everywhere you can see, from the corners of the hallways to the workshop and office areas. Legally, these are meant to protect personal and property safety, prevent theft, prevent disputes, and ensure production safety. But now, they've become used to monitor employees' emotions, efficiency, and private behavior. I'm sure our situation isn't an isolated case.
I reviewed the relevant regulations. Using surveillance as a means of labor control, such as recording performance evaluations, slacking off, and subsequent repercussions, violates relevant laws and regulations. However, there are very few successful cases in China regarding this; instead, news of various personal information leaks is commonplace. I believe that laws concerning personal information still need continuous improvement.
Some people often joke that when something is lost, there's no surveillance footage, and it's ultimately left unresolved. But when you're speeding, surveillance footage is clearly visible. This brings us to the issue of public facilities. Our main roads here have security cameras. Excluding cases of misuse of personal information, I think there are many benefits.
Areas with security cameras do improve personal safety. In the event of a security incident, the response is faster, evidence collection and accountability are more efficient, and the cost of grassroots governance is significantly reduced. Even in the event of an accident or dispute, it can be quickly traced back.
In the past, society assumed anonymity, and you were only identified in extreme circumstances. Now, you are continuously identifiable, and only temporarily anonymous when permitted.
South Korea's past voyeurism scandals, the unique perspectives of girl groups at concerts—these are all examples of privacy invasion. It's not about how much you can avoid it, but how malicious the perpetrators can be.
Technological advancements bring many conveniences, but they all have two sides. From data protection to citizen privacy, it depends on how you uphold ethical boundaries. Otherwise, security tools can easily become tools of constraint. We still have a long way to go in this regard.
On Web3, we can have many privacy products, such as @BeldexCoin, to protect our privacy. In a decentralized world, I can hide my address, my name, my whereabouts, and interact completely anonymously. But on Web2, you can never completely avoid privacy issues.
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