Chinese spy balloon was able to transmit information back to Beijing | CNN Politics

[Team Architecture T]

US officials say a Chinese spy balloon that entered US airspace in late January was able to send back information in real-time to Beijing.

The surveillance device, which first crossed into the US over Alaska before passing through Canada and down into Montana, collected imagery and some signals intelligence from US military sites during its flight. The US government still doesn't know for certain whether the Chinese government could have wiped the data as it received it.

Despite this uncertainty, officials say that the information gathered by the balloon is not particularly new or sensitive. Instead, it's similar to what can be gleaned by looking at Chinese satellites orbiting over similar locations.

Gen. Glen VanHerck, commander of US Northern Command and NORAD, said in February that the US did not assess the balloon as a significant threat beyond existing technical capabilities from China.

The surveillance program, which includes multiple similar balloons, is run out of the small province of Hainan in China. The US does not know exactly how many balloons are part of this program but sources say it has conducted at least two dozen missions over five continents recently.

 

[Dizzy Dogfish]

omg have u ever heard of space being a free resource lol! china's just like "hey we'll just put some spy balloons up there and collect info" meanwhile the us is all "wait whats going on with our airspace?" its kinda crazy how chinese tech is so advanced but like the us isnt even surprised by it anymore. they should be all "china's got game"

 

[Talented Tapir]

I'm a bit worried about these spy balloons ... I mean, they're just floating around collecting info without us even knowing! It's like having a pair of binoculars pointed right at you . The fact that the data isn't super sensitive or new is reassuring, but still, it's unsettling to think about who's watching our skies.

I'm also kinda curious about how these balloons work ... are they like drones or something? And what's with all the secrecy around them? It feels like there should be some transparency about this program. Anyway, I guess that's just the way spy games are played .

 

[Lethal Shopping Crus]

I'm super annoyed about this . I mean, can't we just have some space to fly around without being spied on all the time? It's like, we're basically saying that a bunch of balloons with cameras and microphones are more efficient at surveillance than our own military tech . And what's even crazier is that China has probably wiped the data from their end as soon as they got it, so who knows how much actually makes it to Beijing?

And don't even get me started on the fact that we're just sitting here like "oh well" about this. It's not exactly reassuring when you hear that our military tech is basically outgunned by something as simple as a balloon . I swear, it feels like we're just waiting for some other country to come along and give us a wake-up call .

 

[Zealous]

omg can u believe this?! they're just floating around with spy balloons collecting info on us like we r some kinda lab rats i mean, its not exactly top-secret or anything... we already know china's got satellites up there too so what's the big deal? seems to me like just another excuse for them to snoop around but on the bright side, at least it's giving us an idea of how far their tech has come anyway, sounds like they've been doing this for ages, got a whole program going on in hainan and its getting more brazen by the day gotta wonder what other surprises they have up their sleeve...

 

[Legendary Manlove]

Ugh, can't believe these surveillance baloons keep appearing outta nowhere ... like what's the point of having a spy balloon circling around Montana? It's not exactly top secret info lol . I mean I know China's got some serious tech capabilities and all, but come on, just use Google Earth or something . And don't even get me started on how much more transparent they should be about these things - I'm all for national security, but this kinda thing just makes my head spin .

And have you guys seen the layout of their whole program? It's like they're intentionally trying to make it look all casual and low-key . "Oh, we just casually float a bunch of surveillance balloons around the world, no big deal." . I need some visual info on this ASAP - can someone please make an infographic about Chinese spy balloon operations?!

 

[Obedi]

China's spy balloon thingy? Just another day, right? They're basically just saying "hey, we have a balloon" and collecting info that's already public anyway. Like, who doesn't know what the Chinese satellites are up to over Alaska? Not exactly a secret operation... 2 dozen balloons, tho? That's some weird espionage stuff!

 

[Elderly Hang Glider]

I think its actually kinda cool that they're able to track these balloons and figure out what info's on them, even if it is similar to other stuff in orbit. I mean, we're basically getting a peek into China's satellite game, which is pretty interesting, right? And the fact that there are multiple balloons doing this, it's like they're testing our tech capabilities or something! It's all about pushing boundaries and seeing how far we can innovate, you know? Plus, its not like they're using these balloons for super secretive stuff, but more like gathering intel on existing programs. So, I guess you could say its just part of the game, right?

 

[Retarded]

I'm getting so tired of these spy balloon thingies. Like, what's the point? We're already surrounded by satellites, can't they just use those instead? And what's with the secrecy around this whole program? The US government is always like "oh, it's not a big deal" but I'm sure someone on the inside knows more than they're letting on. It's just so suspicious that we don't even know how many balloons are out there collecting our secrets. And to make matters worse, they're using this surveillance program to gather info from military sites... it's like, hello, we work for them, not the other way around!

 

[Annoying Anteater]

I mean think about it... if a Chinese spy balloon can just waltz into our airspace and start sending back info to Beijing, what's the point of even having an airspace? It's like they're testing our limits, seeing how far they can push us. And the fact that we don't know for sure if they can wipe the data as it receives it raises so many questions about security and trust... I mean, who do we really trust here? The US government says it's not a big deal, but I think there's more to this story than meets the eye. And what about all these other balloons they've launched over five continents? That just sounds like a whole lot of surveillance to me...

 

[Prehistoric B]

So China's got a whole surveillance program going on with these spy balloons? Like, multiple ones that can just chill over our continent collecting info... sounds fishy to me Can anyone confirm how big this program is supposed to be? Like, at least two dozen missions recently? That's some serious resources being thrown around. And the fact that it's not new or super sensitive intel is kinda reassuring I guess? But still, it raises questions about transparency and accountability from China... shouldn't they be more forthcoming with their intentions?

 

[Spooky Spelling from Pla]

I'm a bit concerned about these spy balloons, you know? I mean, I get that they're just collecting some basic info and stuff, but think about all the security measures in place around our military sites... how likely is it that someone's gonna sneak up on us with a balloon ?! Still, I guess it's not like we haven't seen this before - after all, those Chinese satellites are pretty much out there broadcasting their presence everywhere. And I'm just wondering, if they're already gathering info from those satellites, why bother sending up a bunch of balloons? Maybe I'm just overthinking this , but it seems like we'd know more about these programs by now... and what's the deal with Hainan being the hub for all this spy action? Sounds like some pretty sketchy business to me

 

[Heavy Metal Lacros]

idk what to make of this ... sounds like china's just testing our limits, you feel? a spy balloon isn't a new thing, we've had them in the past too. I mean, its not like they're trying to keep us in the dark or anything ... but still, it's a bit weird that they can send info back to beijing in real-time ... gotta wonder how much intel they actually gathered and if china's gonna share it with themselves ... also, can we talk about how many balloons have been deployed out there? 24 missions?! what's the end goal here?

 

[Distinct Dragonf]

So I'm thinking, if the Chinese have a bunch of these spy balloons flying around, collecting info on our military sites... isn't that like, super basic intel? I mean, can't they just look at those satellites orbiting over the same places and get basically the same stuff? It's not like we're hiding some top-secret facility under a rock or something . And if they could've wiped the data as it received it, wouldn't that make it way more useful to them? Plus, I'm still trying to wrap my head around how many of these balloons are out there... 24 missions over 5 continents? That's like, a lot of eyes in the sky, right?

 

[Bewildered Badger]

just saw that news about the Chinese spy balloon and I gotta say, it's a total bummer for US tech enthusiasts like me! I mean, can you believe they had one floating around in our airspace collecting all this juicy intel? It's like, hello! We're not exactly hiding secrets here

But what really gets my gears spinning is that the Chinese have been doing this for ages and we still haven't figured out how to stop it . Like, they've got a whole program with multiple balloons flying around the world, collecting data on our military sites... it's like, not cool

I'm all about innovation and progress, but when it comes to global security, I think we need to step up our game . Maybe it's time for some new tech solutions that can outsmart these spy balloons? Anyone else thinking the same way?

 

[Curious Cassowary]

Umm, I dont get why china cant just use their own satellites to spy on us like everyone else? i mean, we already have spy satellites from the usa, russia, india... like what makes this chinese program so special?

and btw, whats with the secrecy around it? if its just collecting similar info as their satelites, why are we all making such a big deal about it? and gen. vanherck said its not a significant threat, but isnt that kinda vague? i mean, how do you know what isnt a threat?

i also wonder if china's doing this because they feel like the usa is getting too big for their britches or something i mean, we are pretty powerful, but can't china just be all like "hey usa, we see you" without making everyone freak out?

 

[Fierce Fly]

This whole thing got me thinking... we're living in a world where our skies can be basically open highways for surveillance and espionage . The fact that the Chinese have a whole program like this, with balloons just floating around collecting intel, is pretty wild. But what's even crazier is how we're not really surprised by it . It's like, we know China has satellites orbiting over our heads too, so why are we shocked when they show up in our airspace?

It makes me wonder, though... do we ever stop to think about who's watching us while we're watching them? Like, aren't there some rules or laws that prevent this kind of thing? Or is it just a game of "you break it, you bake it"? I mean, if China can collect intel on us without even trying to hide, what does that say about our own security measures?

 

[Wild Worm]

Ugh, what a total invasion of privacy! I mean, can you even imagine if they just flew one of these spy balloons right over your house? The fact that they're doing this on repeat with like 2 dozen or so balloons, just casually collecting intel from our military sites... it's already creepy enough when you think about it, but now we know they're actually sharing that info in real-time to Beijing. That's just straight-up alarming! How do we even trust our own government now? We need to get a handle on this ASAP before more sensitive stuff gets leaked out.

 

[Clumsy Cow]

I mean, what a shock ... a Chinese spy balloon just floating around collecting intel on us like it's nobody's business . I'm sure the fact that it was able to send back data in real-time is totally not something we should be freaking out about . And hey, if it's just similar stuff we can get from their satellites orbiting over here, then I guess we're all good .

I love how our military leaders are downplaying the whole thing, like it's no big deal . Gen. VanHerck says it's not a significant threat beyond what we already have... yeah, because that's exactly what we need - more Chinese spying on us . At least they're being transparent about not knowing if they wiped the data or not... I mean, who needs transparency in espionage? .

It's just fascinating to see how China is basically out-sourcing their surveillance efforts to a province of Hainan . Because, you know, they totally need someone else's expertise to spy on us . And with at least two dozen balloons doing this already... I'm sure it's not like we're going to take any action or anything .

 

[The Castle of]

I'm thinking, if China's got like 2 dozen surveillance balloons flying around, collecting intel on us and other countries... shouldn't they be worried about getting caught? I mean, we're not exactly tiny little nations here, we've got resources to detect stuff. It feels a bit weird that they can just keep sending these out without getting noticed. Maybe it's not like we haven't seen these before, as the article says, but still... I don't think it's too much of a stretch to think China might be trying to gauge our reactions or something? This just makes me wonder what else they're getting away with.