Chinas Security Agency Says Pop-Up Ads Could Hide Foreign Spy Activity

Attendees walk past an electronic display showing cyberattacks in China at the China Internet Security Conference in Beijing, on Sept. 12, 2017. Mark Schiefelbein/AP PhotoChina’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) has warned that foreign intelligence agencies may be exploiting online pop-up ads—such as “click to claim rewards” promotions—to collect data, profile users, and conduct what it calls ideological infiltration.The warning, published on June 21 by state broadcaster China Central Television, said the regime’s security agencies had identified potential risks embedded in online ads, claiming that foreign intelligence agencies were using advertising channels to gather intelligence and identify targets inside China.