In August of 2020, researchers from the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank, released a report revealing that a Chinese-built spy balloon was able to capture sensitive military intelligence, despite being launched and controlled by civilians.
The incident, which began back in April, drew immediate ire from the United States military due to its potential to bring harm to national security and act as an espionage tool. Initially, military officials tried to downplay the incident and claimed that the balloon likely did not present any real risk.
However, the new report claims that the Chinese spy balloon was able to access smartphone GPS signals and sending sensitive military information back to China. The balloon was launched by a civilian in Sichuan Province who, the report claims, was likely unaware of the potential consequences.
The incident highlights a larger trend of China using civilian technology to gather sensitive information. In addition to the balloon, the Atlantic Council report noted that China is using a tech startup to monitor conversations between US passersby for intelligence-gathering purposes.
The findings show that China is an ever-increasing threat to the United States and other countries. Its sophisticated military technology and lack of respect for privacy are troubling, and the US should act quickly to address the problem.
The military must continue to develop new strategies that protect against further eavesdropping and implement tougher regulations to prevent such incidents from happening in the future. Additionally, citizens should be aware of their data being shared with Chinese companies as well as the potential implications of their online activities.
Overall, the findings of the Atlantic Council are disconcerting and represent a major breach of US security. It is therefore essential that government and military officials continue to act swiftly and responsibly in order to ensure that our data remains safe and secure.
