Chinese Spy Balloon Utilized US Internet Provider for Location Communication
Chinese spy balloon in the US used an American internet provider to discreetly transmit navigation and location data back to China, according to US intelligence agencies
US intelligence agencies discovered that the Chinese surveillance balloon which crossed through the United States in early 2023 utilized an American internet service provider to transmit brief, regular data related to navigation and location back to China, as reported by a US official. This connection was one of the methods used by the US to track the balloon's location and gather information as it traveled through the United States, according to the source.
CNN was unable to identify the internet service provider, but officials had previously stated that the balloon was capable of communicating with Beijing as it traversed the US. According to NBC News, the balloon used a US network to communicate with Beijing.
The network connection was not utilized to send intelligence back to China, according to the official. Instead, the information was stored on the balloon for future use, including imagery and other data which the US has been able to analyze since shooting it down in February. The FBI and the Director of the Office of National Intelligence chose not to comment, and CNN has contacted the Chinese Embassy in Washington for their response.
China has consistently stated that the balloon was simply a weather balloon that had drifted off its intended course.
Meanwhile, the US had determined that the spy balloon was actually part of a large-scale surveillance initiative led by the Chinese military. According to previous reports by CNN, the balloon fleet had carried out over twenty missions across at least five continents in the past few years. This information had been provided by US officials.
According to the US intelligence community, Chinese Communist Party leaders did not plan for the balloon to enter the United States airspace. They reportedly reprimanded the surveillance program operators for the incident, as per CNN's previous report.
President Joe Biden stated in June that Chinese leader Xi Jinping was surprised by the balloon's presence, mentioning at a political fundraiser that Xi "got very upset" after the US shot down the balloon because "he didn't know it was there." He further likened Xi to "dictators" who feel embarrassed when they are unaware of what is happening.
