China has Accused mapping firms of Buying up Geospatial Data for Crypto Assets
Chinese authorities have said that mapping companies are illegally buying up geospatial data in the country. Citizens of the state are offered a reward in crypto assets for the transfer of information.
Chinese authorities have accused foreign mapping companies of buying confidential geospatial data. The firms collected information through the "check in on the card — get rewarded" scheme.
According to law enforcement agencies, citizens of the country transferred geospatial information in exchange for digital assets. With the help of rewards, they were motivated to purchase special equipment for "card registration".
After that, users collected confidential data and uploaded it to the servers of foreign companies. The Chinese authorities claim that the firms offered increased remuneration for certain geographical points.
Law enforcement agencies call these actions illegal. In their opinion, the transmission of geospatial data poses a direct threat to China's national security.
In response to the actions of the mapping companies, law enforcement agencies conducted an investigation and blocked information transmission channels. The government says it has completely blocked the data leak.
The country's leadership notes that in order to collect geospatial information, companies need to obtain a special license from government agencies. Otherwise, cartographic firms violate the provisions of the laws "On Counterintelligence", "On Geodesy and Cartography", as well as "On Data Security".
