If You're a Foreigner Using GPS In China, You Could Be a Spy

tedlistens writes "China has accused Coca Cola of espionage for its 'illegal mapping,' allegedly with the use of GPS 'devices with ultra high sensitivity.' On its face the case looks like yet another example of China's aggressive sensitivity about its maps, no doubt heightened by its ongoing fracas with the U.S. over cyberwar. Li Pengde, deputy director of the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation, said during a radio interview on Tuesday that the Coca Cola case was only one of 21 similar cases involving companies using GPS devices in Yunnan to 'illegally obtain classified information.' According to Chinese authorities, geographical data can be used by guided missiles to strike key military facilities — a concern that one GPS expert says is overblown at a time when the U.S. government already has high-precision satellite maps of China. Nevertheless, Chinese law dictates that foreigners, be they companies or individuals, are prohibited from using highly-sensitive GPS equipment in China."

Comments

Re:The US is headed the same way, not as far along

[fustakrakich]

There was a time when the US stood for individual freedom...

When?

Legitimate complaint?

[Immerman]

Heh.

Actually seems like it could be a semi-legitimate complaint to me. Realistically what applications are there for a high-precision GPS outside of geological/territorial surveys and military intelligence? Sure we've got the satellite maps, but one of the nice things about those maps is the ability for someone with a GPS on the ground to make "X is here" annotations for important locations. For military purposes the ability to know within a few feet/yards where a strategic "soft spot" is could prove very valuable in terms of, say, disrupting infrastructure with a minimum of the sort of civilian collateral damage which could be used to sway international opinion against you.

Re:Legitimate complaint?

[tragedy]

Realistically what applications are there for a high-precision GPS outside of geological/territorial surveys and military intelligence?

Ooh, ooh, teacher, teacher! I know this one! It's knowing which freaking road you're on when there are several close together.

Seriously, what kind of question is that?

Re:Legitimate complaint?

[hedwards]

You think that satellites can't do that? This is just about appearances, nothing more, or they just wanted access to those phones for industrial espionage reasons.

This is about as legitimate as banning hunting rifles because they could shoot down military planes. I'm sure it's technically possible to get lucky, but it's rather unlikely that somebody is going to be able to hit something going that fast that far up on purpose.

Re:The US is headed the same way, not as far along

[ShanghaiBill]

Before 1913.

In 1913 we had a president who openly advocated white supremacist policies and praised the KKK. Women were denied not only the vote, but many inheritance rights, right to serve on juries, and were openly discriminated against in education, financial services, and employment. The police regularly colluded in violently suppressing organized labor.

If you were a rich white guy, 1913 may have been the golden age. For everyone else, it wasn't so good.

Re:Fuck USA

[poity]

Look at how Noam Chomsky, Michael Moore, Glenn Greenwald, Amy Goodman, and other critics of the US live and prosper in the US. Now, look at how their Chinese equivalents are dead, rotting away in jail, under house arrest, or in exile.

That's all you need know to understand that the statements "Fuck China" and "Fuck USA" are weighed differently.