The Apple and Google app stores continue to offer private browsing apps that are surreptitiously owned by Chinese companies, more than six weeks after they were identified in a Tech Transparency Project report. Apple and Google may also be profiting from these apps, which put Americans’ privacy and U.S. national security at risk, TTP found.
The apps are virtual private networks (VPNs), which promise to mask a user’s identity as they browse the internet. But Chinese-owned VPNs raise serious privacy and security concerns for Americans because Chinese companies can be forced to share user data with the Chinese government under the country’s national security laws. VPNs have access to particularly sensitive user data since they see all of a person’s web activity.
As someone living in Europe I’m more concerned with American companies harvesting my data.
Just curious: Why would you prefer your data to be harvested in China vs. the US?
Because China doesn’t have as much influence in Europe as the US does. Besides that, there’s a higher chance of US companies sharing data with European governments than Chinese companies doing so.
Ah, yeah that makes a lot of sense. Thanks. I’d probably lean towards China too in that case, if forced to choose.
Because the US is worse in every quantifiable way
thats not what they said did they? they said they are more concerned about American companies harvesting their data as they live in Europe and don’t have as much affinity to China.
Is it not? They said they’re “more concerned” with American companies harvesting data. Doesn’t that mean that, given the choice between the US and China harvesting their data, they’d choose China because it concerns them less? Did I misunderstand it?
Actually, they didn’t say this part:
They answered my question with a more specific explanation though, and now I understand. In their position, I’d probably choose China too.