China has forbidden its armed forces
from wearing internet-connected
wearable tech, according to reports.
The People's Liberation Army Daily, the
Chinese military's official newspaper,
said security concerns had been
raised after one recruit had received a
smartwatch as a birthday gift.
News site NBC said its sources had
confirmed a ban was now in place.
One expert said the move was a natural
extension of restrictions already placed by
most armies on mobile phones.
The PLA Daily said army leaders had
sought the advice of experts last month
after being alerted to an incident in which
a soldier had tried to use a smartwatch to
take a photo of his comrades stationed at
the eastern city of Nanjing.
It said the country's agency responsible
for protecting state secrets subsequently
issued the following decree: "The use of
wearables with internet access, location
information, and voice-calling functions
should be considered a violation of
confidential regulations when used by
military personnel."
The newspaper reported that teaching
materials and warning signs had
subsequently been created to ensure that
the message was spread among military
personnel.
"The moment a soldier puts on a device
that can record high-definition audio and
video, take photos, and process and
transmit data, it's very possible for him or
her to be tracked or to reveal military
secrets," it added.
A spokeswoman from the UK's Ministry of
Defence was unable to provide a
statement about its own rules.
But the BBC understands that it does not
currently prevent the use of devices that
receive or transmit information unless
personnel are operating in a security
sensitive environment or on operations.
One expert suggested, however, that the
rise of wearable tech posed a challenge to
military forces across the globe.
"Any self-aware organisation will have
measures for operational security," said
Peter Quentin, a research fellow at the
British defence think tank Rusi.
"Anything that is networked - whether it
is in your pocket or on your wrist - can be
remotely accessed and exploited by others
to provide an advantage to adversaries.
"That can happen inadvertently or be done
deliberately, so it needs to be controlled
wherever possible.
"It's why you already see leaving of phones
outside of areas where sensitive
discussions take place."
He added, however, that there could
sometimes be benefits from letting
soldiers use wearable tech beyond
battlefield duties.
Officials had initially tried to clamp down
on the troops' personal use of the kit
before it became apparent that the
resulting video was useful.
"It helped the Army communicate the
realities of the operations in Afghanistan
through the soldiers' own eyes, which was
very powerful," Mr Quentin said.
www.josiahdele.blogspot.com
from wearing internet-connected
wearable tech, according to reports.
The People's Liberation Army Daily, the
Chinese military's official newspaper,
said security concerns had been
raised after one recruit had received a
smartwatch as a birthday gift.
News site NBC said its sources had
confirmed a ban was now in place.
One expert said the move was a natural
extension of restrictions already placed by
most armies on mobile phones.
The PLA Daily said army leaders had
sought the advice of experts last month
after being alerted to an incident in which
a soldier had tried to use a smartwatch to
take a photo of his comrades stationed at
the eastern city of Nanjing.
It said the country's agency responsible
for protecting state secrets subsequently
issued the following decree: "The use of
wearables with internet access, location
information, and voice-calling functions
should be considered a violation of
confidential regulations when used by
military personnel."
The newspaper reported that teaching
materials and warning signs had
subsequently been created to ensure that
the message was spread among military
personnel.
"The moment a soldier puts on a device
that can record high-definition audio and
video, take photos, and process and
transmit data, it's very possible for him or
her to be tracked or to reveal military
secrets," it added.
A spokeswoman from the UK's Ministry of
Defence was unable to provide a
statement about its own rules.
But the BBC understands that it does not
currently prevent the use of devices that
receive or transmit information unless
personnel are operating in a security
sensitive environment or on operations.
One expert suggested, however, that the
rise of wearable tech posed a challenge to
military forces across the globe.
"Any self-aware organisation will have
measures for operational security," said
Peter Quentin, a research fellow at the
British defence think tank Rusi.
"Anything that is networked - whether it
is in your pocket or on your wrist - can be
remotely accessed and exploited by others
to provide an advantage to adversaries.
"That can happen inadvertently or be done
deliberately, so it needs to be controlled
wherever possible.
"It's why you already see leaving of phones
outside of areas where sensitive
discussions take place."
He added, however, that there could
sometimes be benefits from letting
soldiers use wearable tech beyond
battlefield duties.
Officials had initially tried to clamp down
on the troops' personal use of the kit
before it became apparent that the
resulting video was useful.
"It helped the Army communicate the
realities of the operations in Afghanistan
through the soldiers' own eyes, which was
very powerful," Mr Quentin said.
www.josiahdele.blogspot.com
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