MI5 has issued an alert warning UK lawmakers that Chinese intelligence operatives are leveraging LinkedIn and recruitment fronts to target them for information gathering and long-term cultivation. The warning emphasizes the use of professional networking sites, recruitment agents, and consultants as tools for espionage, with specific examples of LinkedIn profiles cited.
House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle stated that the activity is targeted and widespread, prompting the government to take measures such, as investing £170 million in encrypted technology to safeguard sensitive work. Opposition parties have called for more robust actions, arguing that authorities are not doing enough and are overly cautious about damaging trade ties with China.