Microsoft will stop allowing Chinese employees to assist with U.S. military technology
According to Reuters, Microsoft said on July 19 that it will stop allowing Chinese engineers to provide technical assistance to the U.S. military. This follows an investigation by the news website ProPublica, which prompted U.S. senators to question and led Defense Secretary Hegseth to order an investigation into the matter.
The report detailed how Microsoft hired Chinese engineers to work on U.S. military computing systems under the supervision of "digital guards" employed by U.S. subcontractors who had security clearance. However, these subcontractors often lacked the technical expertise to assess whether the work of Chinese engineers posed a security risk.
On July 19, Microsoft spokesperson Frank Shoemaker stated on social media platform X that the company has changed the way it assists U.S. government clients in response to concerns raised earlier in the week, ensuring that services used by the Pentagon no longer receive technical assistance from Chinese engineering teams.
Earlier, Senator Cotton, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee from Arkansas, wrote to Defense Secretary Hegseth regarding Microsoft. Cotton requested that the military submit a list of contractors using Chinese personnel and more information about how U.S. "digital guards" are trained to detect suspicious activities.
Hegseth also posted on X on the 19th, stating that Cotton's concerns were "completely correct," and that the Department of Defense is investigating the matter related to Microsoft. "No foreign engineers, including those from any country, should be allowed to maintain or access (Department of Defense) systems."
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1838032679097353/
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