China uses LinkedIn to recruit academics for espionage, Czech intelligence warns

China poses a fundamental threat to Euro-Atlantic civilisation and is using various channels, including LinkedIn, to establish contacts and gain influence and know-how, the Czech Security Information Service (BIS) has warned.

In the latest BIS report, the Czech intelligence service found that China targets academics in the country.

Through LinkedIn, Chinese intelligence services use “cover profiles of employees from fictitious consulting or headhunting companies, most commonly based in Singapore or Hong Kong,” to approach Czech academics, the report warns.

The academics are offered financial incentives in exchange for reports and research that align with China's political interests. What starts as a seemingly legitimate professional opportunity often leads to deeper involvement and the sharing of sensitive, non-public information, the report adds.

“These studies generally serve as a preliminary step towards further cooperation, involving the provision of specific information,” the BIS report also warned.

Once initial contact has been established, Chinese operatives often invite academics on all-expenses-paid trips to China. These visits are used to cement relationships and create a sense of commitment to Chinese interests.

In addition to warning about China's efforts on LinkedIn, the BIS report also points to China's broader long-term geopolitical goal of positioning "itself as the most important economic superpower and creating an effective counterbalance to the G7 countries."

By infiltrating academic and professional circles, China is not only seeking direct information but also working to undermine the principles of democracy and free markets that are central to Euro-Atlantic civilisation, the report adds.

The intelligence agency also raised the alarm about the risks of foreign smart devices, such as smartphones, smartwatches and electric vehicles, being used to misuse personal data.

These devices, the BIS warns, could be vulnerable to data collection that could then be exploited by state actors. The Czech agency does not explicitly mention Chinese smart devices but warns against products from countries "whose political regimes and legislation increase the possibility of data misuse by state power".

[Edited by Daniel Eck]