WATCH how Big Brother in China is peeking into mobiles for anti-Xi Jinping posts

Beijing: In a shocking turn of events, the Chinese police are now searching for a number of apps like Twitter, Instagram and Telegram in people’s phones in Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou amid protests across the country against the nation’s zero COVID lockdown policy.

Videos are going viral where Chinese police are seen checking mobile phones of commuters travelling in subway in Shanghai.

Also, in Shanghai, police conducted phone inspections in People’s Square Station, looking for messages posted in a chat room used by protestors.

Police checking a passenger’s phone on the subway in #Shanghai. https://t.co/qk3E5zGHXg

— William Yang (@WilliamYang120) November 29, 2022

For the unversed, people in China who could not post protesting content on the Chinese internet due to censorship, turned to platforms like Twitter to share news of public defiance.

As per reports, Chinese authorities are arbitrarily stopping passers-by and noting down their personal information if they find apps such as Twitter or Telegram on their devices.

While foreign social media apps are banned in China, they can be accessed through virtual private networks, or VPNs.

Videos circulating on Twitter also show an alleged plain-clothes officer hitting a person who refused to hand over his phone.

Mon 28 November 2022. Plainclothed police beating innocent protestor when he refuses to unlock his phone

"open your phone"
"why wont you open your phone"
"open your phone let me see"#china #beijing #shanghai @BBCWorld #bbc #reporter #covid #lockdown #protest #freedom #Fight pic.twitter.com/Ztp51UEil5

— awetnappy (@awetnappy) November 28, 2022

As per report by BBC, Chinese police are also threatening to arrest people for not deleting photos of the protests.