The implementation of China’s digital yuan, or e-CNY, “opens up new forms of government surveillance and social control,” Wired reports. U.K. Government Communications Headquarters Director Jeremy Fleming said e-CNY could be used to evade sanctions and monitor citizens by controlling how they make payments. Chinese citizens currently utilize technology companies such as WeChat Pay or Alipay for their payments but the government could use e-CNY to compete with them. In the future, individuals or companies that come into political conflict with the government could have their digital wallets seized or stop receiving payments in China.