Britain’s cyber chief Lindy Cameron said Wednesday that China aims for “global technological dominance” in cyberspace and uses its cyber capabilities to conduct intelligence and surveillance operations.
Cameron, director of the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC), part of Britain’s secret intelligence agency GCHQ, said Britain had a “legitimate concern” about the impact of Chinese technology on cyber security.
“China is not only pushing for parity with the West but also for global technological dominance,” Cameron told an annual government cyber security conference in Belfast. “Certainly, we cannot afford to keep up with China; otherwise, we risk becoming China’s dominant force in cyberspace.”
China uses its cyber capabilities to obtain intellectual property, achieve geopolitical goals, and launch global espionage efforts, according to Cameron.
Last month, Britain banned using TikTok on official phones, following other Western countries blocking the Chinese-owned video app due to security concerns.
TikTok has come under increasing scrutiny over fears that user data from the app, owned by Beijing-based company ByteDance, could fall into the hands of the Chinese government, undermining Western security interests.
Last month, TikTok Chief Executive Show Ji Chiu faced tough questions from lawmakers who believe they should ban the Chinese-owned short video app for posing a potential national security threat to the United States.
TikTok, which has more than 150 million American users, has faced accusations that its US user data will be shared with the Chinese government and failed to adequately protect children from harm.
TikTok said it had spent more than $1.5 billion on a strict data protection effort called “Project Texas,” which currently has about 1,500 full-time employees and has contracted with Oracle to store TikTok’s US user data. It also says it rigorously screens content that may harm children.
The US, Canada, Belgium and the European Commission have banned the app from government devices.
China has labelled the ban as politically motivated. Beijing regularly denies involvement in hacking and says it punishes them.
