Chinese Authorities: Pop-up Ads Pose National Security Threat

In China, various items are considered potential national security threats. According to a recent post on its WeChat public account, China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) has identified pop-up advertisements as a threat to national security.

According to the MSS's WeChat public account, the ministry claims that foreign spy agencies are using pop-up advertisements (referred to in China as 'pop-up ads') to conduct intelligence gathering, target selection, and ideological infiltration, thereby posing a threat to China's national security.

The MSS claims that after users click on pop-up ads, applications transmit personal privacy, interest characteristics, and other information stored in the app's database back to advertising companies. These advertising companies then use 'micro-targeting' calculations to achieve personalized ad delivery.

It is reported that recently, in the course of work, it was discovered that foreign spy agencies colluded with individual advertising companies to build monitoring platforms. They integrate and analyze data transmitted back by advertising companies with social media information, high-precision positioning, and other data to accurately profile target individuals, including their home addresses, workplaces, and daily travel routes, forming complete personal profiles for targeted recruitment and subversion.

The MSS further claims that investigations have found that foreign spy agencies are using distribution models to embed anti-China website links within pop-up ads. Through certain nodes in neighboring regions, they bypass China's internet regulatory system to achieve covert delivery within China's domestic internet environment. These types of pop-up ads often carry content with ideological infiltration, which 'seriously endangers China's national security'.

The MSS also stated that in recent years, relevant departments have successively promulgated departmental regulations such as the 'Regulations on the Management of Internet Pop-up Information Push Services' and the 'Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertisements'. These regulations draw red lines at the institutional level, requiring that pop-up ad information should be identifiable, clearly marked as 'advertisement', and include a closing button, ensuring that pop-up ads can be closed with a single click.

The MSS concluded by stating that in the face of increasingly covert cyber infiltration methods by foreign spy agencies, both internet platform operators and the general public must strengthen their defenses and prevent falling victim.

The MSS periodically introduces which types of items or products may involve national security. Previously, items such as pens, lighters, and tissue boxes were considered potential threats. (Editor: Lu Jia-rong / Zhu Jian-ling) 1150623

Stand with facts, and your every contribution is a force to protect the freedom of the press.

Download the Central News Agency 'First News' APP to get the latest news in real-time.

The text, images, and audio on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or used without authorization.