FBI urges Olympic athletes to leave personal phones at home ahead of Beijing games

[question everything]

Washington (CNN)The FBI is urging Olympic athletes to leave their personal cell phones at home and instead take burner phones to the Beijing Winter Olympics this month, citing the potential for "malicious cyber activities."

"The FBI urges all athletes to keep their personal cell phones at home and use a temporary phone while at the games. The National Olympic Committees in some Western countries are also advising their athletes to leave personal devices at home or use temporary phones due to cybersecurity concerns at the Games," the agency said in a notice.

While not aware of "any specific cyber threat against the Olympics" the FBI added that it's important that those at the games be "vigilant and maintain best practices in their network and digital environments."

The warning comes amid rising concerns by US national security officials about Chinese espionage and intellectual property theft -- and as intelligence officials have publicly warned that China has created an advanced techno-surveillance state within its borders, blanketed by cameras, facial recognition and other technology.

More..

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/01/politics/olympics-china-burner-phones/index.html

[Irish_Dem]

1. The Chinese are well known for surveilling foreigners traveling in their country.

They have done so for a long time.

[nycbos]

2. Probably a good call.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. I sincerely hope they made that urge

much earlier than today. As in at least a week or two earlier.

[Hortensis]

5. They did. And so did the USOC, media employers, etc.

They're told to throw them away when they leave China.

[dalton99a]

4. And do not buy a burner phone in China.

All phones sold in China are required to have a back door for state surveillance.