DHS to Investigate China-Linked Telecom Hack Targeting Trump, Vance

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Oct 27, 2024

Above: Republican Presidential candidate, former U.S. president, Donald Trump, and his running mate, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, before making remarks to a crowd during an event on August 21, 2024 in Asheboro, North Carolina. Image copyright: Melissa Sue Gerrits/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Imagesstory last updated Oct 28

The Facts

A spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that its Cyber Safety Review Board will investigate how alleged China-backed hackers infiltrated US telecom firms to spy on political figures such as Donald Trump and J.D. Vance.
This comes in the wake of reports that a Chinese hacking group dubbed Salt Typhoon has breached multiple providers, including AT&T, Lumen, and Verizon, in an intelligence-collection effort targeting the phones of roughly 40 people.

The Spin

Anti-China narrative

America is fighting an information war on many fronts, and it is incumbent on everyone to remain aware of the constant threat foreign actors pose to its national security. Though neutral in the presidential race, China wants to undermine faith in democracy and spy on prominent US figures. Tech companies and the national security establishment need to be proactive on this front.

Pro-China narrative

The US is perfectly capable of holding an election marked by division and instability without the aid of outside actors. These baseless smears serve only to distract the American public from the homegrown chaos of their political process. Proclamations like these needlessly heighten global tensions, as the US beats the war drum and gets the people to join along. These are wildly sensationalist and false allegations.