Raffin

Officials from three US Intelligence agencies recently advised in the House of Representatives that US individuals, government agencies shouldn't use certain Chinese smartphone brands, citing security issues due to those companies strong ties with the Chinese government. Although many non Chinese brands are also manufactured in China, as is much of the IT equipment used in the world.

Some will now discount any statements from US Intelligence agencies, and no evidence was given, but do they have a point?

Here, Chinese brands are doing well in the market and we have an administration with a China friendly policy in many areas, including inviting Chinese companies to participate in a third Telco, with the stated aim of improving internet and calls. National security concerns have been dismissed.

But what about the surveillance and control of people and organizations here in opposition to government policies, which is surely already going on, but could be made much easier?

mikemike

raffin

i think i might be flattered to believe that i was so important to any government official any where in the world, sadly i am not. if they were following me around they would all,be asleep by now

Stokkevn

Same for me. My phone is charged about 4 times a month despite the battery only lasting about 2 days, may possibly move from my office desk about once a month and it has never connected to my WiFi since new.

Raffin

Along with the great majority of Expats I am sure your conversations are of no interest to any government, and to have any of that nature here would leave you open to deportation for breaking the terms of your visa......although two FBI agent's texts, which were almost certainly jokes, recently got them dropped from an investigation and used politically by some Republican US legislators who, either accidentally or deliberately, misconstrued their communications.

Major risk here is to certain Nationals. For that reason alone I wouldn't buy any Chinese smartphone brand. Traditional Chinese Cyber activity and Industrial Espionage would not be the focus, rather it would be to further their wider policy aim to rival the US in the Asia-Pacific region.

It's been reported they are building a huge nationwide electronic surveillance operation in China. So why wouldn't they want to use their technology in other countries to further their aims, with or without the cooperation of their governments? Perhaps even take a page out of the Russian book on the 2016 US election?

mikemike

nah

I am not working or serving anyone

They would put my dark ops conversations up there with the presidents dream of freeing the Spratleys by jet ski. The only harm they would suffer is hernia related laughter.

i wonder if this post will get my door knocked at the next 2am. If you do not hear from me, it is because they got me!!

kompani101

I hope anyone tracking me or listening to my mobile chat enjoy themselves with my coming to terms with life in the Philippines and often communicating bollocks in a Lancashire accent :-)
PS. If it's an issue, don't buy a Chinese/Filipino phone.

SushiFan

I don't think that the Americans are especially concerned about voice conversations. I believe that those agencies are more concerned about any written text arriving at, or leaving from, that smartphone getting copied to a computer in China. And that this could lead to US government-related information ending up at an unintended location. Even end-to-end encrypted data can get copied in this way in readable format, thus making the encryption futile.

Philosophical 11

I guess if you have nothing to hide...then you have nothing to fear. But lets not forget there are "listening" satellites out there. The Chinese, Russians, British, USA and others are watching and listening. I for one will be happy to use a Chinese phone or internet if it comes to the Phils.

bestvue

For me who has nothing to hide.haha. I don't see that it matters. The only thing on the internet and phone apps side of things is the security of on line banking.