A Chinese tech company linked to the country's military, appears to have been violating the privacy of millions of people worldwide by compiling loads of their personal information. The leak revealed that citizens in the United States, UK, Australia, Canada, India and Japan were all subjects of this mass surveillance.

The database was compiled by a private firm called Zhenhua Data. It lists the People's Liberation Army and Chinese Communist Party among some of its most prominent clients. The firm in question has previously made claims of providing services for the Chinese military, security and foreign propaganda. According to its website (before it was recently taking down) Zhenhua described its mission as influencing the 'great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.'

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According to a report by Vice, this alarming collection of personal data was stolen and leaked to the Five Eyes Intelligence network by an anti-China activist. Once leaked, the database was discovered to contain vast collections of names and other personal details of nearly 2.4 million people, including high-profile figures like politicians, religious leaders and military officers. More specifically, details of these individuals from the several "Five Eyes" countries included dates of birth, addresses, marital status, and political associations. It seems much of the data was acquired from open source material available online such as social media, but some appears to have also been sourced more invasively from confidential bank records, job applications and even psychological profiles. It is believed these details were acquired from the dark web.

Not So Private Eyes, Watching You

Chinese Surveillance

While the intended use of the leaked information in the database is not entirely clear thus far, cybersecurity experts called this discovery frightening and are concerned about what it truly reveals about China's depth and determination toward intelligence. According to intelligence sources analyzing the leaked data so far, it appears the goal was to use it to support Chinese intelligence, military, and security in information warfare. This tactic devised by Zhenhua, targets key institutions in democracies such as industrial sectors, major universities, and even the children of leaders. The resulting outcome anticipated is a successful transmission of given information and eventual new policy formation that fits China's intentions.

To what extent China has already used this data to manipulate democracies is unknown, but one thing is certain. The liberal world is only now truly understanding how much China has invested in intelligence and influence operations using data. To that note, the countries being surveyed cannot and should not underestimate the ruthless depth of Chinese surveillance, and its now exposed eyes and ears around the world. Cybersecurity experts have advised that liberal democracies harden their data privacy and security to avoid future threats like this, and for good reason. In a global contest for innovation and political influence, China has shown it's not going to play fair if it means shaping its own global narrative.

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Source: Vice