At the Beijing Olympics, athletes are expected to use their phones as burner phones. Many countries are warning athletes not to use their cell phones or laptops at home during the Beijing Winter Olympics, which begin Feb. 4.
The United States, Canada, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom are among those countries on alert. They’re all warning athletes not to allow their communication devices to be used by the Chinese communists’ efforts at espionage.
U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee spokesman Jon Mason stated that Team USA is among other national governing bodies warning athletes “to determine the best course of action.” Team USA disseminated an advisory encouraging the use of rental/disposable computers and “burner phones” for members of its delegation. Also, the advisory stated that:
“Like computers, the data and applications on cell phones are subject to malicious intrusion, infection and data compromise.”
The Wall Street Journal reported American athletes were warned that “every device, communication, transaction and online activity may be monitored. Your device(s) may also be compromised with malicious software, which could negatively impact future use.”
The Dutch Olympic Committee also warned its delegation, saying it is “anticipating Chinese surveillance during the games.” Canada, Australia and the British delivered similar advisories to their teams.
Chinese propaganda is full of lies and confusion. The Beijing 2022 organizing committee released a statement acknowledging the collection of personal information, but claimed it will protect that information.:
“The Chinese government attaches great importance to the protection of personal information.
“Personal information collected by Beijing 2022 will not be disclosed unless the disclosure is necessary. Information of accredited media representatives will only be used for purposes related to the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.”
Relations between western nations and China have already been strained to new lows, reports Gino Spocchia, of The Independent. American and British authorities are blaming Beijing for human rights abuses in in Hong Kong and the country’s Xinjiang province. Numerous nations have declined to send diplomatic delegations to China.
China accused the U.S., U.K. and other nations “political posturing and manipulation”.
Then there’s the danger of Chinese athletes posting about China on social media. Think of how fearless American athletes are of criticizing their own country.
The international community has been on heightened alert since early November when Chinese women’s tennis star Peng Shuai disappeared for several days after accusing a former government official of raping her. The government swiftly removed the accusation she made on social media. The government quickly removed her accusation of social media. She then retracted the earlier accusations, leading to suspicion that she was detained or disciplined.
Chinese authorities could discipline athletes representing other countries for criticizing its human rights abuses. Everyone should exercise caution when making comments on social media about China’s presence in China.
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