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≡ CHINA WATCH ≡
In a rare show of bi-partisan concern, a letter from the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party was sent Wednesday to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about the Olympic role of the Chinese communications giant Alibaba Group:
“We write to express serious concern about the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) ongoing partnership with Alibaba Group and the implications of allowing a People’s Republic of China (PRC)-based cloud provider to support the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
“Alibaba serves as a critical enabler of the CCP’s digital surveillance and censorship apparatus. The company appears to have partnered with Chinese military firms on surveillance and weapons development, helped process data for PRC intelligence agencies, and established a CCP party committee within the company.
“Given that the 2028 Olympics will be held in the United States, it is imperative that Alibaba not receive any access to a major U.S. city’s infrastructure and security information, which would create unacceptable exposure to espionage, data exploitation, and foreign influence operations at a globally significant event.
“Recent reporting has made clear that these are not abstract concerns. In the lead-up to the Paris 2024 Olympics, French cybersecurity authorities pushed back against Alibaba’s role in hosting Olympic systems. Guillaume Poupard, the head of France’s National Agency for the Security of Information Systems (ANSSI), confirmed there was a ‘fight’ to keep Alibaba away from sensitive data systems due to concerns about access by the PRC government. French authorities ultimately insisted that Olympic data remain within France’s sovereign jurisdiction, with special safeguards imposed on any Alibaba systems involved.”
The letter was signed by Committee Chairs John Moolenaar (R-Michigan: House Select Committee on China) and Andrew Garbarino (R-New York: Committee on Homeland Security) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Illinois: House Select Committee on China) and Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (D-Mississippi: Committee on Homeland Security).
The concerns were clearly stated:
● “[T]he presence of any PRC-controlled technology company in operational roles for LA 2028 creates an unacceptable risk. Alibaba’s provision of cloud infrastructure, e-commerce, ticketing, and broadcasting services in prior Olympics has already given the company substantial access to systems and personnel. This risk is heightened by the nature of the CCP’s influence over PRC-based companies and the increasing geopolitical tension surrounding critical technology platforms.”
● “Given the CCP’s clear strategic interest in exploiting foreign data systems, we believe that no PRC-controlled provider should be given any operational role unless the U.S. Government can verify the implementation of robust and demonstrable security controls – if such controls are even possible.”
This is a direct parallel to the French government’s concerns prior to the Paris 2024 Games, for example, with possible access to personal data of the hundreds of thousands of people who will be accredited, who file applications to volunteer, register to buy tickets and so on.
The lawmakers asked for a quick response:
“[W]e request a classified briefing no later than September 30, 2025 from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) on the above risks, ongoing efforts to advise the IOC and relevant critical infrastructure owners and operators of potential risks and mitigation measures, and potential options to prevent or remove Alibaba’s access to LA 2028 infrastructure and information.”
Alibaba’s cloud service has been under U.S. scrutiny for some time. The first Trump Administration flagged it in 2020 and in 2022, the Biden Administration’s Commerce Department was reported to be reviewing Alibaba access to U.S. intellectual property and personal data.
The Alibaba Group became the IOC’s cloud and e-commerce partner in 2017 and has led a revolution in the way that the Olympic Games are broadcast. Working with the IOC-owned Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), Alibaba created the “OBS Cloud” which allows rights-holding broadcasters to receive live, direct signals from the OBS Master Control to their home-city control rooms.
This has dramatically reduced the need for broadcasters to send staff to be on-site at the Games, and many events are now announced remotely – in home-country studios – with just a reporter on-site for interviews. The Tokyo 2020 broadcast center was 25% smaller than that at Rio 2016 and the Paris 2024 IBC was 13% smaller again than Tokyo, with a parallel reduction in staffing.
Alibaba has become more and more involved in IOC support, including hosting of its archives in digital formats, monitoring of power consumption and more.
Concerns over U.S. data safety will only grow – as was the case for Paris 2024 – and the Select Committee on the CCP was formed in January 2023 to coordinate policy toward China and monitor developments related to U.S. economic and security issues.
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