MI5 has issued an alert to UK lawmakers about Chinese intelligence operatives using LinkedIn and recruitment fronts to target them for information gathering and long-term cultivation. A letter from House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle to lawmakers outlines the new MI5 ‘espionage alert,’ which warns that Chinese nationals are using LinkedIn profiles to conduct outreach at scale on behalf of the Chinese Ministry of State Security. The alert highlights that the aim is to collect information and lay the groundwork for long-term relationships, using professional networking sites, recruitment agents, and consultants acting on their behalf. MI5 issued the alert due to the targeted and widespread nature of the activity.
The MI5 alert specifically cited LinkedIn profiles of two women, Amanda Qiu and Shirly Shen, and mentioned other similar recruiters’ profiles acting as fronts for espionage. Home Office Minister Dan Jarvis stated that in addition to parliamentary staff, others including economists, think tank consultants, and government officials have been similarly targeted. Jarvis emphasized that the government is implementing a series of measures to tackle the risk, including an investment of 170 million pounds ($224 million) to renew encrypted technology used by civil servants to safeguard sensitive work. Opposition parties, however, have criticized authorities for not doing enough and for being too cautious about jeopardizing trade ties with China.