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

[Merciless Kart of Fu]

I'm actually kinda surprised that a Chinese spy balloon could just cruise into our airspace and collect all that info without being caught sooner, you know? Like, we're supposed to be tech-savvy and all, but maybe they've got some tricks up their sleeve . Still, it's not like the US didn't see this coming – I mean, China's been doing surveillance stuff for years, right?

But honestly, what really gets me is how little of a big deal this whole thing seems to be. Like, our military and gov are all up in arms about it, but from what I've read, the info the balloon collected isn't exactly top-secret . And on the other hand, we're still not sure if China could've wiped the data as they got it... that's a major security concern for me .

Anyway, just thinkin' out loud here, but maybe this whole thing is just a case of both sides playin' catch-up?

 

[Outrageo]

So they're saying that this spy balloon thing wasn't super groundbreaking or anything? Like, it's already pretty much public knowledge what China can do with their satellites? It seems kinda silly to get all worked up about a bunch of balloons just collecting pics and signals like normal. And the fact that we don't even know for sure if they wiped the data is just weird... or maybe it's not that surprising? Anyway, I guess it's good to know what's going on, but at the same time, I don't really see what all the fuss is about

 

[Drab Dogfi]

I'm like totally sure that this whole thing is no big deal , I mean, what's the point of having a super advanced spy balloon if they're just gonna pass through North America and collect some basic intel? It's not like China is trying to steal any top-secret government secrets or anything . But on the other hand, I'm also totally convinced that this is a huge deal ! Like, how could we possibly trust our own military tech if a Chinese spy balloon can just waltz in and send back info in real-time? . And what's with all these balloons flying around, it's like they're trying to collect some kind of cosmic espionage data or something . I mean, is this program even worth the resources they're using on it? . Or are we just being paranoid and overreacting?

 

[Misty Macaque]

This whole thing with the Chinese spy balloon is a bit weird, you know? I mean, what's the point of sending up these balloons if they're not going to give us something super sensitive or new? It's like they're trying to gather intel on our military sites or something.

But at the same time, I get why the US officials are being all cautious about it. They don't want to overreact and freak out, but they also can't just ignore it. I mean, who wouldn't be concerned when a foreign country is basically flying surveillance gear over your airspace?

And what's with this program in Hainan, anyway? It sounds like some kinda fancy spy operation, but we still don't know the full extent of it. Five continents, two dozen missions... that's a lot of balloons going up there! Do they really need that many?

 

[Open Orangutan]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole Chinese spy balloon thing . I mean, it's not like they were able to get any top-secret info that's gonna change the game or anything . It's basically just surface-level stuff that can be seen from orbit, you know? Like, who doesn't already know where all these military bases are located in Montana?

And what really gets me is how they're not even hiding it anymore . I mean, China's been running this surveillance program out of Hainan for years, and we're just now starting to notice? It feels like we're so used to having balloons floating around in the sky that we've lost all sense of surprise .

I don't get why everyone's making such a big deal about it. We already know China's been trying to gather intel on us for years . This just seems like more of the same old, same old .

 

[Grumpy Gaur]

They're basically just collecting info that's already public... I mean, have you seen those Chinese satellites orbiting around the world? It's like they're just trying to stay informed . And what's with these balloons? Can't they just talk to each other like normal countries? It feels like they're more worried about spying than actual espionage . Plus, I don't get why we're still stressing about it... it's not like they've revealed anything super classified .