Nearly three years ago, China set strict playtime limits for those under 18 as part of an effort to reduce video game screen time—and now Beijing is warning its younger military personnel about threats from video games, file-sharing sites, gambling platforms and most notably dating sites.
In a social media post, the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s official propaganda arm cautioned sailors not to expose personal information or to in advertently spill other secrets using such apps.
“Nowadays, dating apps have emerged in an endless stream. Young officers and soldiers eager for love may expose their military identity to gain attention, making it easy to become the focus of criminals,” the post warned.
The PLAN also warned of the dangers of virtual gambling, illegal in China, and compared gambling addiction to “demonic possession” and warned it could lead to severe financial ruin.
Online Dating Within The Great Firewall Wall
According to June 2022 data from Statista, about 33.5 million people in China were regular users of online dating and matchmaking apps. Though a fraction of the nation’s population is on the apps, investors have poured more than $5.3 billion into dating and social media app producers, while the market was expected to reach $296.5 million.
Dating apps remain relatively new in China but soared due to lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic, and especially popular are “casual dating apps.”
That likely has Chinese officials worried, because of the potential secrets that could be spilled. China’s Gen Z population—known as the “Internet generation”—may be digital natives, yet many aren’t familiar with catfishing schemes and other scams, which are now on the rise.
And while foreign apps, like Tinder, are blocked in mainland China, residents can access them via virtual private networks. The same holds true for gambling apps, which have also gained in popularity. That has opened opportunities for online scammers.
“Any use by military personnel of apps that aren’t controlled and contained by that military is a risk,” explained technology industry analyst Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group.
That is why the U.S. military has banned the Chinese-owned TikTok from being used on official devices, and banned it entirely from all military bases and facilities.
“Apps capture tons of information, particularly the free apps, this information can be used to determine location, who the user is, what motivates them and how they could be manipulated, and when they are online and offline,” warned Enderle.
Such information could be incredibly important to a hostile force who could use it to compromise military personnel, inform on fleet movements—when in-port, or using the phone to geolocate it—and to set a foundation or directly manipulate the user, Enderle added, emphasizing, “None of this is good for military operations.”
The fact remains that PLAN sailors are no different from those in the U.S. Navy or any nations’ sea service. Long days at sea can lead to boredom. The problem could be made worse in China, where there are now considerably more men than women—meaning those young sailors don’t have a girl in every port, or likely even at home.
“Sailors get lonely at sea and they will find ways to work around restrictions unless a good, approved, alternative is used. The military could deploy conversational Generative AI and give them secure virtual AI girlfriends to deal with the loneliness or have pools of security-cleared women that the sailors can contact and date through secure channels,” said Enderle.
Recruiting Tools—And Not For Military Service
Beijing’s attempt to warn its sailors of the dangers of dating apps also comes as the U.S. Navy has seen in recent years several sailors being charged with spying for foreign nations, including China!
As operatives from China seek to recruit U.S. military personnel, efforts are underway to ensure the U.S. doesn’t return the favor in kind.
“China’s military is often discussed in terms of powerful warships, aircraft carriers, and hypersonic weapons. And yet, there is rarely talk about the men and women who make up those ranks,” said Harry J. Kazianis, senior director of National Security Affairs for the Center for the National Interest and executive editor at The National Interest.
“Beijing is smart to want to protect those servicemembers, as one way for foreign actors trying to learn about them—and their weaknesses—would be through Chinese dating sites.”
The Chinese Communist Party is also realizing that the Great Firewall won’t stop the use of such technology. And even if it could, it still might opt not to.
“China is far more autocratic than the U.S., which means they could more easily implement and enforce the related policies than the U.S. Military likely can,” said Enderle. “However, they might also overreach which could damage morale and result in lower battle effectiveness.”
