Mobikes seem like a pretty good idea to us, but clearly not everyone feels the same. A man was arrested by Shanghai police yesterday for throwing three Mobikes into the Huangpu river, choosing The Bund as his stage no less.
Not only did he send three of the stylish whips to a watery grave, but he also went at six other nearby Mobikes with a hammer. Naturally, someone caught some of the act on video:
When quizzed by a Sina reporter following his arrest, the vandal was unapologetic and revealed that he had actually never ridden a Mobike before. Had he just been dumped? His phone unable to recognise the Mobike's QR code? In fact, this was an act of protest against the supposedly sinister ethics behind the Mobike.
The Hong Kong-born protester claimed the silicon chips in the Mobike give unprecedented access to the cyclist’s location and personal information, therefore constituting a serious threat to users' privacy.
Is this man the Edward Snowden of the Middle Kingdom, or simply an impulsive vandal in search of internet fame? Whilst we hate to see a Mobike end up in such a state, our friendly vandal is not the only one to raise concerns regarding of the rise of 'big data' in China. With rapid expansion planned from Mobike and its competitors, millions are being poured into such bike-sharing apps.
Mobike: friend or foe(bike)?
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