US fears Chinese oversight at the Olympics

The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee has asked athletes to ditch personal phones in favor of non-smartphones ahead of the Winter Olympics in China next month, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

A non-smartphone is an inexpensive mobile phone that the owner usually does not intend to use long term and can be destroyed or thrown away when you no longer need it.

Criminals often use this type of cell phone to evade detection by authorities.

You can use a phone other than a smartphone for privacy reasons, as a last resort or in an emergency. The device is disposed of as soon as it is suspected that it has been hacked.

The warning from the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee has been sent twice in the past year warning athletes of the possibility of digital surveillance in China.

The warning states that every device, connection, transaction and online activity can be monitored. Your device may also be compromised by malware, which could negatively affect its future use.

As noted by The Wall Street Journal, Britain, Canada and the Netherlands have warned athletes not to bring their personal electronic devices into the country.

And the commission's concerns don't come out of nowhere, as in 2019 China secretly installed spyware on the phones of tourists from Xinjiang.

Additionally, research group Citizen Lab found that China's My2022 Olympic app, which all participants must install, is riddled with vulnerabilities that could lead to privacy breaches, surveillance and hacking.
America takes precautions against tech surveillance

The US Department of Homeland Security issued a similar warning to any traveler bound for China during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

At the time, the ministry warned that bringing devices would expose them to unauthorized access. It can also expose them to data theft by criminals or foreign government agents.

But things are a little different this time, as China has banned all foreign spectators over fears of the coronavirus.

Athletes are more likely to rely on their mobile devices to stay in touch with friends and family. It can be even more complicated with non-smart cell phones that come with data, texting, and calling restrictions.

But even if Olympic athletes want to use their cell phones to surf the web, they may not have unlimited access.

During the 2008 Olympics, China promised to give viewers, journalists and athletes unrestricted internet access, as the Chinese firewall currently blocks a number of popular websites in America, such as Google, YouTube , Twitter, Facebook and Netflix.

However, China does not seem to be keeping its promise. Journalists reported that they still could not access certain websites. Including BBC China and a number of Hong Kong newspapers as well as the Amnesty International website.

China again said it was providing athletes and journalists with uncensored access to the internet. But it's unclear whether the state continues to block certain websites.