{"id":11,"date":"2024-09-03T14:39:23","date_gmt":"2024-09-03T12:39:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/privacy_china\/?page_id=11"},"modified":"2025-05-27T10:45:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T08:45:16","slug":"overview","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/privacy_china\/overview\/","title":{"rendered":"Privacy in China"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Digitalisation is transforming society by reshaping interactions between governments, citizens, and firms while raising critical questions about the governance of private information. China’s extensive use of data collection and AI tools, such as facial recognition and social credit systems, offers valuable insights into the future of digitalisation worldwide, despite being understudied due to biases against authoritarian regimes. While many view states like China as unyielding “digital leviathans,” this perspective oversimplifies the complex legal, social, and cultural dynamics at play. The interdisciplinary project PRIVACY-CHINA examines these nuances, exploring how private information is disclosed, governed, and contested within China\u2019s unique framework. By understanding how citizens, firms, and governments shape digitalisation, the project aims to illuminate strategies for addressing its risks while harnessing its benefits, offering valuable lessons for European societies navigating their own digital transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Project goals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Privacy is a complex topic due to the term\u2019s varied meanings, the discrepancies between privacy intentions, attitudes, and behaviours, and the sensitivity of privacy issues. This project addresses these challenges by integrating insights from sinology, media and communication studies, anthropology, and political science to navigate the conceptual and empirical nuances of privacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project\u2019s comprehensive framework is complemented by key outputs such as a feature-length documentary, stakeholder conferences and a travel gallery to ensure broad engagement, while data management ensures the ethical sharing of findings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In accordance with the four work packages (WPs) that structure the project\u2019s activities and goals, the following objectives form its foundation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WP1: The Party-state view<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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To analyse the structural, legal, and narrative mechanisms through which the Chinese Party-state regulates privacy-related discourse and interventions, offering insights into state influence on individual privacy rights.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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WP2: The citizens’ view<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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To investigate the perceptions and practices of privacy across different societal groups in China, highlighting the diversity of privacy experiences and interactions with the state and societal norms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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WP3: Synthesis through online diaries and experimental online survey<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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To synthesise findings from qualitative and quantitative data, advancing a nuanced conceptualization of privacy in an authoritarian context and critically evaluating methodological approaches to studying privacy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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WP4: Fostering societal discussions \u2013 producing a documentary film<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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To create a documentary that captures diverse privacy practices in China, fostering broader societal discussions and reflections on privacy dynamics in both Chinese and global contexts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Mixed and unique methods<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Employing a multi-method approach that includes narrative analysis of online stories, posts, and online diaries, web scraping, interviews, and experimental surveys to explore privacy comprehensively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n