UK Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden is poised to address Members of Parliament, implicating China in cyber-attacks targeting voter data. These assaults, which occurred in August 2021 but
came to light only recently, breached the Electoral Commission's systems, compromising personal information of millions of voters. Notably, individuals critical of Beijing, including several MPs and peers, are believed to have been singled out in these attacks.
Dowden's anticipated statement to Parliament on Monday will underscore the gravity of the threat posed by these cyber-attacks. It is understood that other Western nations will echo similar concerns. While the Electoral Commission previously acknowledged the breach last August, citing "hostile actors" accessing electoral registers and emails, they asserted no influence on elections or registration status.
Sources suggest Dowden will implicate individuals with ties to Beijing in these attacks, outlining the UK's response to this broader security threat. The Chinese Embassy has been approached for comment by the BBC.
In response to escalating worries over Chinese espionage and interference in parliamentary affairs, the UK government has emphasized rejecting or scaling back Chinese investments in infrastructure due to national security considerations. MPs targeted in these cyber-attacks, including Iain Duncan Smith, Tim Laughton, and Stewart McDonald, members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, will receive briefings on security measures.
These developments come amidst heightened UK government apprehension regarding Chinese espionage activities. In 2023, a parliamentary researcher was arrested under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly spying for China. Additionally, concerns arose over the political interference activities of UK-based lawyer Christine Lee, accused of funding MPs' work on behalf of China.
While China consistently refutes allegations of espionage and misconduct, these revelations underscore the deepening global concerns surrounding cybersecurity and foreign interference. Photo by UK Government, Wikimedia commons.