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Japan curbs on Chinese telecom firms could hurt ties, says China

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these phones are sending data to china so its quite frightening to use them, At your own risk, go buy them.

6 ( +13 / -7 )

Mr Gao Feng doesn’t have to worry about “mutual trust in both countries.” China destroyed it completely a long time ago.

4 ( +11 / -7 )

Give it up China. The entire world knows what the world's most economically and militarily powerful authoritarian dictatorship is up to.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Maybe if the spyware was offered as a side option instead of built in Chinese junk might be better received.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

hahaha, pay more for less, what a loser.

-7 ( +4 / -11 )

No more spyware telecom

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Remember it's not just you that is exposed to potential Chinese nefarious activities if you own a Chinese phone. It's everyone in your address book and everyone in their address book. Buy a Sony phone, made in Japan for peace of mind.

Chinese people who are deemed anti CCP have reported threats against their family and friends, tracking, coercion etc., so even if you think you are not at risk, YOU might be targeted because of someone you know. Buy a Sony phone, made in Japan for peace of mind.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

So in effect, Abe’s actions ordered by America will further destroy our economy and destabilize our region.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

Buy a Sony phone, made in Japan for peace of mind.

This is the headline news in the business section

"Sony to close smartphone plant in China, shift production to Thailand"

6 ( +7 / -1 )

these phones are sending data to china so its quite frightening to use them, At your own risk, go buy them.

Will somebody please explain to me why this is a problem if you are not Chinese? Because Japanese and US phones are also used for spying. If you are a Japanese or US (or affiliated country) citizen, that info could be used against you. But what can the Chinese do to you, unless you are Chinese?

It's naive to assume that not all smart phones are surveillance devices. Your only choice, if you use one, is to choose who is spying on you.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

ll smart phones are surveillance devices. Your only choice, if you use one, is to choose who is spying on you

Bingo!!!

If the CCP used surveillance for nefarious purposes, they are unaccountable, they can harm the target, but the target is helpless. In Japan or other functioning democracy countries, nefarious actors are accountable and ultimately can be voted out, night and day for me, and for Hong Kong Chinese people I know.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Will somebody please explain to me why this is a problem if you are not Chinese? Because Japanese and US phones are also used for spying. If you are a Japanese or US (or affiliated country) citizen, that info could be used against you. But what can the Chinese do to you, unless you are Chinese?

Information is power. I'd rather give as little to China as possible. If choosing the least worst, I'd go with USA. Now that said the US has strong privacy laws, and Apple as battled with the US government at times - something not seen between Huawei and the Chinese government. Apple seems to be a company independent of the government. Huawei seems to be more directly integrated with the government.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Information is power. I'd rather give as little to China as possible. If choosing the least worst, I'd go with USA. 

I would rather give that power to the country that has the least ability to use it against me. That would be China, in my case. We know that the US, Aust., NZ, the UK and other trade information. China has no power over citizens of that country unless they are in China.

Apple seems to be a company independent of the government. Huawei seems to be more directly integrated with the government.

I know Apple seems that way, but I think the truth is something quite different. I don't see how it can be otherwise. Even if they haven't agreed, I assume that the US spy agencies are paying people in Apple to ensure they have a back-door. No way they will pass by that treasure trove of intel. I agree that Huawei is directly tied to the government. Any large information company that wants to conduct business in China will have to bend to their government's will. So if I see Google, Facebook or any other company suddenly allowed free access to the Chinese market, I will assume they are cooperating as well.

Honestly, I am afraid the privacy war is already lost. We will need new systems and governance in place to protect against what people might do with personal information. Now, we have no framework at all... and worse, many people are still naively eager to give up privacy to their own governments.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

I assume that the US spy agencies are paying people in Apple to ensure they have a back-door.

I assume they would like to, but that it's not happening. You don't seem to understand how tech works. A back-door is a security hole. Always. If there is no back door, it cannot be exploited. If there is a backdoor, it can.

After 9-11, the government tried forcing a number of companies to put backdoors into their software. A few months later, they realized Chinese hackers were exploiting these backdoors.

Remember a few years ago, when Apple and the FBI had came to heads because the FBI wanted Apple to provide them with a backdoor into iOS? If such a backdoor existed, the FBI would not have needed to go public with it. In the end, they found a method to hack into the system, but since then Apple has come up with a fix that prevents this type of method from working anymore.

Add this to Apple introducing things like end-to-end encryption in messages, so that not even Apple has access to the contents of the messages.

Apple has a LOT to lose by putting backdoors into their systems. Look how much people freaked out when they found out Apple was simply changing how it prioritized energy usage. Imagine if the people found out that they were letting the government in through back-doors? And it's not like it would remain a secret, because once a back-door exists, people will exploit it, and it becomes public. Just like when the Chinese hackers started exploiting back doors after 9-11.

When taking a purely secure approach to life, assuming that your phone has a backdoor that can be exploited by the government is a good attitude to take. But realistically, it's very doubtful Apple has given the government any backdoors into their software. It's just a nice sounding conspiracy theory.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I would rather give that power to the country that has the least ability to use it against me. That would be China, in my case

I would rather not give it to anyone.

As for ability, unless you're main land Chinese, China would not be 'least'. A surveillance target is targeted for gains, not because of ability, there is no difference in ability, the only difference is 'you' and how hard you make it.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I should add though, in addition to my last post, that if you are storing your data on the cloud, then it's a good chance the government has it. All bets are off when you trust your information on a server that you don't control (and maybe even if you do).

2 ( +2 / -0 )

China is the biggest hypocrite on the planet, they're the biggest cheaters when it comes to their own domestic market, but as soon as you start to put any friction where they want to do business, they start crying like babies.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

I would rather not give it to anyone

My point is that that's not an option. That's the assumption I operate on. One can speculate whether or not Apple is compromised, but security experts I have spoken to say the wisest course is to assume that nothing on your phone is secret. If course, that goes for cloud services as well.

Therefore, I avoid putting anything on my phone that could compromise security. Certainly, I would never use online banking on my phone, for example. Conspiracy or not, it's the safest course. Nobody worries about getting hacked until they get hacked. Then it's too late.

Simply, phones are not secure, no matter who is spying on them.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Trust that Huawei, ZTE or any Chinese company, would not, present for future carry out espionage, implant backdoors, collect data for the Government of China security services, steal copyrighted technology just need to read the Government of China national intelligence law.

The Real Danger of China’s National Intelligence Law

https://thediplomat.com/2019/02/the-real-danger-of-chinas-national-intelligence-law/

This is a government that has little respect for any semblance or comprehension of human rights for its own people or ethnic minorities. What breathtaking naivety or lack of judgement would it take to trust and accept the word of a regime, or any business/company that would have little choice but comply and carry out any demand that dictatorship makes?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

security experts I have spoken to say the wisest course is to assume that nothing on your phone is secret.

It depends on the degree to which you require absolute security/privacy. The security requirements of the average person are not as stringent as the security requirements of executives in corporations for example. People in those positions need to look not only at what they know (eg - that iPhones are secure), but also what they don't know (the security doesn't necessarily mean someone can't get into them). They need to consider whether the risk of their information being accessed through some means that they are unaware of means that the device cannot be trusted to the degree of having "classified" information on it. The average person on the other hand doesn't really have to worry as much, for if someone does get into their phones it's just a bunch of pictures of food and the like.

If you are working with documents/data/communications that must not fall into unintended hands no matter what, you would be best to follow the advice of the security experts, and take the mindset of assuming nothing on your phone is secret. But if you are the average person in the world, the security of devices as they are presented/marketed is probably a good enough level of security for you, and you can likely sleep well even with the mindset that of assuming whatever is on your phone is secure.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Oh boy,, this measure is not about privacy it never has been.

It's more about security against cyber attacks on to the telecommunication infrastructure.

What happens if Huawei and ZTE were to place a kill switch onto the 5G switching equipment that stays dormant until someone pushes a switch in which it will cut all power into relay?

It means a complete communication black out on the 5G network in that nation.

Do you really want another nation have that kind of power in their hands?

I sure don't and that is why this kind of measures are need to be taken.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Good move.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Not a problem.

This is an issue about Japan's national security and the safety and security of Japan, its people (indirectly us the legal resident aliens and our families), not pleasing other countries.

To begin with, China has never tried to keep a good relationship with Japan, anyway.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Again, Japan jumping to Washington's orders. The US want Japan and the rest of its so-called allies (puppets) to buy American and support the US economy. The US is spying on every nation of earth via their satellites and other ground installations such as Pine Gape.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

What security ? Japan govt asks China to eat radioactive foods, is it safe ? Japan promised China to be a friend, is it another broken promise ? 90% 5g technology in Japan are researched and studied by Chinese origin scholars and professors, where is the concern ?

Again, Japan can isolate itself from China, can build invisible mentality tribal fence against China, but Japan can never be happy and safe to be hostile toward China, as simple as that.

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

"Japan curbs on Chinese telecom firms could hurt ties, says China"

Lack of curbs on Chinese telecom firms could hurt Japan, says the rest of the world.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The US was concerned about alleged spying by Huawei partly because if more countries used the company’s equipment, American intelligence could be prevented from doing its own snooping, Yeo said.

“The Americans are so worried about Huawei not only because Huawei represents a possible vulnerability, but because using Huawei also makes it harder for American intelligence to gain access into other people’s systems,” he said

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Yeo, Singapore’s foreign minister from 2004 to 2011 and minister for trade and industry for five years before that, said the suggestion that Huawei equipment would allow the Chinese government to spy on customers was one-sided.

“To be worried that 5G can expose you to foreign intelligence efforts is a legitimate worry, and every country must take precautions,” Yeo said in an interview with the South China Morning Post.

“It is not just China which may enter your system – the United States and others are also trying to enter your system. If you are a small country, it is very tough because you don’t have all the capabilities.”

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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