EVANSTON, Ill. --- The Chinese government aggressively uses facial recognitions software to watch its citizens, with the ultimate goal of total surveillance in a security state, according to a recent news report.

Northwestern University’s Paul Rosenzweig, a veteran homeland security and cybersecurity expert with deep experience in the private and public sectors, is available for comment on the state of surveillance technology in China and the U.S. and the implications of such surveillance.

“Technology is neutral and, if anything, the U.S. is further ahead than the Chinese [with facial recognition software],” said Rosenzweig, author of the video lecture series The Surveillance State: Big Data, Freedom, and You. “The real limits lie in the political systems and their institutions of oversight, audit and control.”

Rosenzweig prefers to be contacted by email, [email protected]. His phone number is 202-738-1739.

Rosenzweig is an adjunct lecturer in Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communication. He has served as deputy assistant secretary for policy in the Department of Homeland Security and founded Red Branch Consulting PLLC, a homeland security consulting company. 

Rosenzweig also is author of Cyber Warfare: How Conflicts in Cyberspace are Challenging America and Changing the World and the video lecture series Thinking About Cybersecurity: From Cyber Crime to Cyber Warfare.