China’s ‘iPhone City’ may be using Covid-19 controls on protesters

A manufacturing hub in central China is allegedly abusing its Covid control measures to prevent investors who say they have been swindled out of billions of dollars in a suspected financial scam from returning to the city to protest.

Several people who claim to have been denied access to their money invested via online platforms said their health codes turned red when they scanned in at the main train station of Zhengzhou meaning they could no longer move about freely.

They had carried green health codes when they left their hometowns, said the people, who declined to be identified for fear of reprisals. Such alleged use of health-code apps to track people beyond their intended purpose has caused a firestorm.