the official propaganda arm of the People’s Liberation Army Navy warned sailors not to expose personal … [+]
Nearly three years ago, China imposed strict gaming time limits on under-18s as part of an effort to reduce video game screen time — and now Beijing is warning its youngest military personnel about the threats from video games, file sharing sites, gambling platforms and most especially dating sites.
In a social media post, the official propaganda arm of the People’s Liberation Army Navy warned sailors not to expose personal information or inadvertently spread other secrets using such apps.
“Nowadays, dating apps have appeared in an endless stream. Young officers and soldiers eager for love can flaunt their military identity to attract attention, making it easy to become the focus of criminals,” the post warned.
The PLAN also warned of the dangers of virtual gambling, illegal in China, and compared gambling addiction to “demonic possession” and warned that it could lead to severe financial ruin.
Online Dating Inside the Great Firewall
According to June 2022 data from Statista, about 33.5 million people in China were regular users of online dating and matchmaking apps. Although a portion of the country’s population is into apps, investors have poured more than $5.3 billion into dating and social media app makers, while the market was expected to reach $296.5 million.
Dating apps remain relatively new in China, but grew due to lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic, and “casual dating apps” are particularly popular.
This is likely to have worried Chinese officials, because of the potential secrets that could be leaked. China’s Gen Z population – known as the “Internet generation” – may be digital natives, yet many are unfamiliar with the catfishing schemes and other scams that are now on the rise.
And while foreign apps, such as Tinder, are blocked in mainland China, residents can access them via virtual private networks. The same goes for gambling apps, which have also gained popularity. This has opened up opportunities for online fraudsters.
“Any use by military personnel of applications that are not controlled and contained by this military is a risk,” explained technology industry analyst Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group.
This is why the US military has banned the use of Chinese-owned TikTok on official equipment and completely banned it from all military bases and facilities.
“Apps capture tons of information, especially free apps, this information can be used to determine the location, who the user is, what motivates them and how they can be manipulated and when they are online and offline,” Enderle warned.
Such information could be extremely important to a hostile force, which could use it to compromise military personnel, inform on the movements of the fleet – when in port, or using the telephone to locate it – and to establish a baseline or directly manipulate the user, Enderle added. , noting, “None of this is good for military operations.”
The fact remains that PLAN sailors are no different than those of the US Navy or any nation’s naval services. Long days at sea can lead to boredom. The problem may be exacerbated in China, where there are now far more men than women – meaning those young sailors don’t have a girl in every port, or perhaps even at home.
“Sailors are left alone at sea and they will find ways to avoid restrictions unless a good, approved alternative is used. The military can deploy conversational generative AI and give them safe virtual AI girlfriends to ‘faced loneliness or have safety pools – cleared women that sailors can contact and exit through safe channels,’ Enderle said.
Recruiting tools—and not for military service
Beijing’s effort to warn its sailors about the dangers of dating apps also comes as the US Navy has seen several sailors in recent years accused of spying for foreign nations, including China!
As operatives from China seek to recruit US military personnel, efforts are being made to ensure that the US does not return the favor in kind.
“China’s military is often discussed in terms of powerful warships, aircraft carriers and hypersonic weapons. And yet, the men and women who make up those ranks are rarely talked about,” said Harry J. Kazianis, senior director of Homeland Security Affairs. for the Center for the National Interest and executive editor at National Interest.
“Beijing is smart to want to protect those service members, as one way for foreign actors trying to learn about them — and their vulnerabilities — would be through Chinese dating sites.”
The Chinese Communist Party is also realizing that the Great Firewall will not stop the use of such technology. And even if it can, it can still choose not to.
“China is much more autocratic than the U.S., which means they can implement and enforce related policies more easily than the U.S. military likely can,” Enderle said. “However, they can also be overmatched, which can damage morale and result in lower battle effectiveness.”