Key Points
- U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo recently sounded the alarm on China, warning that the Communist nation poses a significant threat to U.S. national security. She’s right. And of all the security threats presented by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the country’s unrelenting harvesting of data is perhaps the biggest. Which brings us to Haier, a Chinese multinational home appliances and consumer electronics company that is heavily invested in the U.S. market.
- According to Aynne Kokas in her brilliant new book, Trafficking Data, Haier’s acquisition of GE Appliances, which now makes it “the world’s largest consumer appliance company,” “specifically targeted growth through the IoT.” For the uninitiated, IoT refers to the Internet of Things, a network of physical objects or “things” that communicate with each other via embedded sensors and software. IoT is fast becoming the central nervous system of our tech-fueled world. This year alone, IoT devices have generated global revenues of $19.5 billion, representing a 13 percent increase from 2021. In the race to connect every device to every other device, China is leading the way.
- IoT devices pose a genuine threat to users’ safety. That’s because they create numerous bridges between insecure networks and insecure devices, allowing hackers to gain control of people’s digital devices and wreak havoc. Devices can easily be hijacked, allowing bad actors to eavesdrop on unsuspecting users.
ThinkCivics researches, examines, and reports on issues that matter most. We deliver explanative, fearless, and insightful analysis for public consumption.
