Edward Snowden Says US Is ‘Massively Hacking’ China’s Computer Networks
NSA whistleblower Eric Snowden has now claimed that the United States has been “massively hacking” hundreds of Chinese targets since 2009.
Snowden worked as a public contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA) until he left his job and fled the country after leaking various documents about the agencies spying practices against American citizens.
Now hiding out in Hong Kong, the former NSA worker spoke with the South China Morning Post where he revealed undocumented proof of hacking against mainland China and Hong Kong targets.
According to the Chinese publication, Snowden revealed a US campaign to obtain information from computers in Hong Kong and mainland China. Snowden tells the newspaper:
“We hack network backbones – like huge Internet routers, basically – that give us access to the communications of hundreds of thousands of computers without having to hack every single one.”
According to Eric Snowden, the NSA has engaged in more than 61,000 hacking operations worldwide, hundreds of which targeted Chinese universities, businesses, and public officials.
It shouldn’t really surprise anyone to learn that the US is involved in hacking operations against China after the country’s own communist regime was caught hacking various US business and military operations in 2012.
Snowden, during his interview, was not able to verify his claims of US hacking attempts against Chinese targets.
When ask if he made the right decision in choosing Hong Kong to seek political asylum, Eric Snowden said:
“People who think I made a mistake in picking Hong Kong as a location misunderstood my intentions. I am not here to hide from justice; I am here to reveal criminality.”
Snowden then added:
“I have had many opportunities to flee HK, but I would rather stay and fight the United States government in the courts, because I have faith in Hong Kong’s rule of law.”
Do you think the US is hacking China’s military, businesses, and political officials?
