China could use data collected by the Amap (高德地圖) app against Taiwan, a Institute for National Defense and Security Research expert warned yesterday.
The China-based application provides 3D street views and even shows traffic signal countdown timers in parts of Taiwan.
The Ministry of Digital Affairs has said that government agencies are banned from using Amap, as it poses a threat to cybersecurity, adding that it would conduct a cybersecurity assessment of the app.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
In an article titled “Legal and National Security Risks of Data Collection by Amap” (高德地圖數據蒐集之法律與國安風險), Alice Yang (楊長蓉), an assistant research fellow at the institute, said that global positioning software no longer functions solely as a navigation tool.
Such software can be used as a comprehensive intelligence-gathering platform, that collects coordinates, real-time movement and traffic patterns, Yang said in the article, which was published on the institute’s Web site.
Even if Amap was not linked to any Chinese government databases, the data it collects could be turned into useful intelligence by analyzing operating modes of traffic signals and infrastructure, as well as collective activity patterns, she said.
For example, a French Navy officer inadvertently exposed the location of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier by recording their running activity on the Strava app, Yang said.
The example demonstrates that software-based de-identification has limited effectiveness, as most items can be re-identified using only a few spatiotemporal data points, she said.
Gauging the cybersecurity risk of an app by solely looking at whether it was funded by Chinese investors is insufficient, Yang said, adding that the focus should be on whether app regulation should be the jurisdiction of national security and intelligence authorities.
China’s National Intelligence Law stipulates that all Chinese organizations and citizens are obligated to support, assist and cooperate with Beijing’s intelligence operations, she said, adding that the law applies to corporations founded and operating in China, as well as China-linked organizations and personnel in other countries.
The government might misjudge the risk to Taiwan’s security from an app if it focuses solely on where the money came from to develop it, she said.
Chinese law says that Beijing can access data collected by private companies without independent oversight, she said.
Taipei would not be able to effectively supervise or restrict the use of such data, nor require that it be deleted once transferred overseas, she added.
“In the long run, data that are seemingly risk-free could be turned into a strategic asset China uses against Taiwan,” Yang said.
Amap should be treated as a national security issue, not a personal data risk, she added.
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