The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has allegedly uncovered Huawei equipment capable of intercepting and gathering commercial data and potentially disrupting US nuclear communications. However, how the devices got to the United States is still unclear.
In an article describing the threat to the US nuclear communication system, CNN detailed the recently canceled Chinese government project to build a 70-foot white pagoda in the National Arboretum in Washington DC. The project was canceled because the developer planned to import the materials in packs that law enforcement agents would be prohibited from inspecting upon arrival. It was canceled after that part of the deal became clear.
Many other infrastructure projects backed by Chinese companies were put into doubt as a result of growing surveillance. According to CNN, during the last five years, Chinese companies have escalated their land purchases near crucial infrastructure. According to the FBI, they have proof of “a hotbed of Chinese spies” operating in the United States and “clear efforts to put listening devices near important military and government locations.”
The CNN story also discusses the findings of an investigation that discovered Chinese-made Huawei equipment on cell phone towers near US military bases in Midwestern states. The Department of Defense expressed concern that the equipment could impair communications, particularly “those used by US personnel.”
When the reporters spoke with the FBI, they were told that the technology “would impact our ability to essentially command and control with the nuclear triad.”
It should be remembered that the New York Times just found out last year from a leaked CIA wire that “a worrisome number” of US agents were being arrested, flipped, and assassinated by the Chinese government. So while the government should warn the public about some dangers discovered, law enforcement would misrepresent the public if they painted the United States as a victim of a one-sided intelligence relationship.
The FBI or any other government agency has not released any data demonstrating the claims’ validity. However, according to CNN, “despite its harsh words, the US government’s unwillingness to offer evidence to back up its accusations that Huawei hardware poses a risk to US national security has led some critics to accuse it of xenophobic overreach.” These criticisms are backed by attacks on other Chinese-based enterprises, such as Tik Tok.
Recently, Brendan Carr, Commissioner of the FCC, spoke on the threat Tik Tok poses to US national security. The FCC stated, “TikTok officials have engaged in a pattern of misrepresentation regarding both the amount and type of sensitive data it gathers, as well as the extent to which that data has been accessed from within China.”
However, the inadequate data protection laws in the United States are to blame for many of the flaws that Tik Tok or the Chinese Communist Party may take advantage of. Not to discount the risks, but data security worries are also quite genuine, as we have observed on social media platforms run by US-based businesses.