For decades, US intelligence agencies have expressed concern about China’s expansive espionage. Presidents have warned the communist country not to steal intellectual property from US businesses. Still, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has hacked US government and business databases and stolen a massive amount of information on Americans. So much so that a former Defense Department (DOD) cybersecurity expert warns the CCP is creating “digital twins” of Americans.
John Mills is the former director of cybersecurity policy, strategy, and international affairs at the DOD. Over the last eight months, he’s been sounding the alarms regarding America’s top adversary. He said they’ve been stealing Americans’ DNA, and the purposes could go far beyond anything most people can imagine.
China Working To Make a Digital Twin of You
In December 2021, Mills wrote that the CCP was doing more than hacking federal agencies and collecting as much information on every American as possible. The cybersecurity expert said the Chinese are gobbling up search history, online purchases, complete medical records, text messages, and anything else they can acquire about US citizens, including your DNA.
You may wonder how that’s possible. Unlike in America, the Chinese don’t have a moral or legal code that prevents them from accessing your voluntary or involuntary data. Mills noted the Chinese are tapping into the DNA data people provide to lineage companies when they seek to learn about their family tree.
On Tuesday, September 7, Mills told NTD News, a sister site of The Epoch Times, that the Chinese have created complex models of every US citizen. He called them “digital twins.”
China’s Possible Intentions
Mills stated the BGI Group, a leader in China’s genome project, can use Americans’ DNA for a variety of purposes, and it has no constraints. In 2017, BGI Group’s CEO voiced concern that the company, which is controlled by the CCP, was capable of genetic reform and could edit specific genes and mass-produce numerous viruses, bacteria, and yeasts. But, for what purpose?
The former defense official warned China is capable of weaponizing our DNA against us in biological warfare. He stated the BGI Group has the capacity to create a virus that only targets people with specific genetic markers. He stated they could even target non-Han (Chinese) ethnicities.
To protect yourself as much as possible, Mills said every American should be aware of their digital footprint. He stressed people should not get DNA tests, especially in the government sector, and that everyone should safeguard their medical information.
If not, we could be feeding the CCP’s ruthless supply grab of information and data on ourselves as they strategically position themselves for success in the event there’s a showdown with America.