On September 16, a space under a bridge near Xingfucheng in Longhua District, Shenzhen, was sealed off with iron bars and water-filled plastic barriers. The filmer pointed out that the area was originally a shelter for the homeless from the rain, and this blockade aims to drive away the homeless population, sparking criticism from netizens over urban management methods.
On September 17, citizens in Shenzhen, Guangdong reported that purchasing knives (including scissors) locally requires scanning a QR code for real-name registration and taking photos for retention, sparking concerns over escalating social control.
On September 3, a netizen reported that having worked abroad for many years, the village secretary in their hometown demanded through family members to submit information such as departure time, phone number, and working city. After submission, the village secretary further demanded the name of the specific employer, claiming it was for record-keeping according to a document issued by the provincial government.
On September 15, netizens revealed that tenants in Beijing must report new residents, and the police station is jointly conducting night checks of the floating population. Beijing police require landlords to implement “register upon arrival, deregister upon departure,” and punish landlords who fail to update information in time, while encouraging the public to report.
On September 13, netizens reported that small transfers triggered AI anti-fraud warnings from Anxun Technology, leading Guangdong police to summon them to local stations for 'propaganda' sessions. Anxun Technology's official website states that its system can convert warnings into precise operational instructions and establish a dynamic control system for high-risk individuals. Multiple netizens reported being visited by police to have their phones checked, being forced to record propaganda videos, or being forcibly summoned simply for small transfers or receiving private messages.
On September 12, a concertgoer at a cultural and sports center in Chengdu was stopped by security personnel while attending a Shan Yichun concert. The security staff claimed her makeup and outfit constituted 'strange attire' and forced her to remove her makeup and change clothes before allowing her entry, causing her to miss about 20 minutes of the performance. Other audience members in the comments section also reported facing similar harassment.
On September 13, State Security Minister Chen Yixin published a signed article in a magazine, listing political security as the primary risk of artificial intelligence and demanding adherence to the Party's comprehensive leadership, warning of overseas AI leakage risks and proposing the establishment of a regulatory platform. On the same day, Anthropic released a report stating that local public security and state security in China had used Claude to monitor residents, rights defenders, and overseas dissenters.
On September 13, 2026, the Beijing municipal government announced at a press conference that personal possession of drones will be completely prohibited within the urban area, with the ban slated to take effect in mid‑November 2026. Previously, the city had implemented a ban on drone sales in May 2026; this further tightening of regulation is said by officials to aim at safeguarding public safety and preventing illegal filming. The Associated Press reported the news.
Anthropic released a report stating that the company discovered and banned a batch of accounts associated with local Chinese public security and state security departments. These accounts used Claude to collect information, query surveillance databases, and generate daily reports. "Teacher Li Is Not Your Teacher" was explicitly listed as one of the targets for stability maintenance and public opinion monitoring.
On September 9, Fujian Longyan Zijinshan Experimental School installed security gates and X-ray baggage scanners at the school entrance. Students returning to school must undergo manual pat-downs and baggage screening, which has sparked public ridicule and criticism.
On September 11, 2026, the US AI giant Anthropic released a long-form investigative report detailing how Chinese AI companies such as Moonshot AI and DeepSeek, while distilling own models from US models like Claude, allegedly sent real internal prompts and sensitive data of users from the People's Liberation Army, police, and state-owned enterprises to US AI platforms, sparking strong concern over model distillation security and data leakage.
On September 10, it was revealed that the Cybersecurity and Informatization Office of a university in Gansu monitored students' VPN use via the campus network, not only listing the names of students who bypassed the firewall, but also precisely recording the duration of their access to foreign social media.
On September 9, a meat stall owner in Songjiang, Shanghai, stated that a notice required business knives to be secured with iron chains and locks, prompting netizens to draw parallels to controls in Xinjiang.
Divorce appointment slots for September at the Marriage Registration Office of Hebei District, Tianjin, are shown as zero, with multiple netizens reporting difficulties in making appointments and the existence of a phenomenon where acquaintances are needed to secure extra slots.
Henan University of Economics and Law has implemented a mandatory facial recognition and location-based clock-in attendance system, and stipulates that leave of absence requests require parental cooperation, sparking widespread questioning and dissatisfaction among students regarding the excessive administrative and prison-like management of universities.