Chinese Tech Is Watching – Why Are We Letting It? – COMMENTARY

Chinese surveillance technology poses a threat to our national security, says a group of Western Balkan IPAC co-chairs

31 January 2025

Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China: Fatmir Bytyqi, Fatmir Mediu, Sanela Klarić and Dobrica Veselinović

Chinese surveillance technology is increasingly embedded in the digital infrastructure of the Western Balkans, from security cameras to school computers. Western Balkan members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) call for higher public procurement standards and better protection of citizens’ data.

Every evening we diligently close our window blinds to prevent prying eyes from looking in. Yet every day, we seem more willing to share sensitive information with a foreign regime thousands of miles away.

Last month, The Guardian reported that air fryers manufactured in China had been found to be spying on their British owners. European governments across the continent are also contemplating levying stricter regulations on the Chinese-owned app TikTok due to similar concerns. If we know that China is spying on us through seemingly harmless consumer goods and apps, then why are we still allowing the use of Chinese technology within our security infrastructure?

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