Read this if you are skeptical about China using their products to spy on us

There has been a lot of talk about China deviously installing spy software in their consumer goods sold in the West, including in cars to allow the authorities in that dictatorship to collect data about what is happening in the West at a micro-scale which they can use in the future to increase their dominance of the world order. 

It sounds fanciful but Which? magazine has said that some Chinese-made airfriers collect personal data and send it back to servers in China using a smartphone app. Smartphones are often paired wirelessly with these sorts of devices to operate them which gives China a way in to monitor people.

The report in The Times states that: "The consumer group [Which?] tested four types of smart gadgets to see how invasive they were of users' privacy. Air fryers made by Xiaomi, Aigostar and Cosori...all wanted to record audio on users' phones with no specified reason, as well as know the customer's precise location, Which? said. The Aigostar and Xiaomi fryers both sent people's personal data to servers in China and the Xiaomi app connected to trackers from Facebook and TikTok."

In addition, "the Huawei Ultimate smartwatch was classed as giving invasive access to parts of someone's phone, including precise location, the ability to record audio, access to stored files and the ability to see all the other apps installed."

Samsung's TV app requested eight "risky" phone permissions including being able to see all the other apps on iPhone.

Trackers in apps are software that monitor data about your activity including how you use your app, your location and the device that you are using.

The information is often sent to big businesses such as Facebook and Google which use the information to target users in respect of advertisements.

In response to the finding, for example, Xiaomi said that it adhered to all UK data protection laws and did "not sell any personal information to 3rd parties".

Can you trust China? Personally the answer to that question is a big NO.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

China will use their cheap EVs to spy on and control other countries. Discuss.

If Edward Lucas, a British writer, journalist, security specialist and politician, is correct in that China is going to flood the UK with cheap EVs with the intention of spying and controlling the country it will affect all of us and therefore indirectly our companion animals making the topic relevant for this website! I want to briefly discuss this topic.

Lucas says that Chinese-made EVs which will be a fraction of the cost of the expensive models now available will flood the UK and US markets and are a 'recipe for mayhem'.

The Chinese EV is cheap thanks largely to government support and access to cheaper batteries and labour.

The Daily Mail newspaper reports that Lucas has said that "Chinese EVs in the West would act as 'mobile surveillance devices' that could be unilaterally switched off by the CCP at its whim, sparking chaos, death and destruction."

How can this be? He is saying that the Chinese can pull the wool over the eyes of the world's computer science experts and covertly spy on us with these cars and shut them down at a whim.

Surely this is impossible? All it takes is for a bunch of British and American computer scientists to thoroughly examine one of the cars destined to be exported to the UK and check if it has the capability to be controlled by the manufacturer and ultimately by the Chinese state if there is a close connection between the two.

The United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, France and the United Kingdom are the top countries for computer science courses. They have the best brains in computer science they would be able to strip down a Chinese EV and find out whether it is capable of spying on people and whether it can in any way damage the lives of citizens of these countries.

Edward Lucas believes that the UK is asleep at the wheel on this matter. He added that "The result of China's ravenous appetite for our data will be that every commercial, political, military and intelligence secret in every Western country is potentially compromised. So too is every facet of our personal privacy, making us vulnerable to blackmail and bullying."

Is it possible for China to spy on the citizens of countries in which Chinese EVs have been imported through technology built into the EVs?

The answer: The Biden administration has raised concerns about the potential national security risks posed by Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) and other internet-connected vehicles on American roads. These EVs are becoming increasingly computerized, akin to “smartphones on wheels.” They collect sensitive data on drivers, including personal information, biometric data, and travel patterns. The worry is that a foreign adversary like China, with access to such information at scale, could pose a serious risk to U.S. national security and citizens’ privacy.

While Chinese EVs have not flooded the U.S. market extensively yet, the situation is evolving. Chinese automaker BYD recently surpassed Tesla as the world’s largest EV company by sales. Some analysts predict that the United States and other Western nations could soon see an influx of Chinese electric cars. However, it’s essential to note that not all Chinese EVs are necessarily involved in espionage. Market competition and innovation drive the adoption of similar sensors and technology across various high-tech cars, regardless of their country of origin.

In summary, while the alarm over Chinese EVs is justified to some extent, it’s essential to balance security concerns with fair competition and technological progress. President Biden has emphasized the need to address any intelligence or economic risks proactively to safeguard national interests.

Sources: Various including The Week, pbs.org, frep.com.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.