Head of British intelligence: The time of technology crisis is coming

The West is facing a “moment of reckoning” in technology and international cybersecurity, said the head of the British intelligence service GCHQ.

Jeremy Fleming he told the BBC that “there is a danger that some of the key technologies on which we rely will no longer be shaped by the West”, implying China’s growing challenge in this matter.

The so-called “smart cities” that collect large volumes of data are just one example, he said, adding that “the real danger is that technology can now be applied in such a way that we can not guarantee its security.”

The issue of China worries Western intelligence chiefs, especially with regard to technology, as he argues that “we may lose control of those who shape our technological environment and those who ensure that our Western democracies perceptions are integrated into our technology “.

Fleming said there were “some important lessons we can learn from the confrontation with Huawei and its role in 5G, which was effectively rejected by Western telecommunications networks following the relevant US sanctions.

“The whole 5G debate was actually lost a decade ago, when Western countries decided not to invest in such infrastructure,” he said, adding that “smart cities” offer great potential, but also risks for privacy and anonymity. If we do not control this technology, then we will fatally end up in a technology environment where the data will be used for our monitoring “.

You may also like