In recent years we’ve had fierce debates about the safety and security of Huawei, 5G, TikTok, semiconductors, ChatGPT and artificial intelligence. All of which may have given you technological indigestion. Let me add something even more threatening to the mix of the threat from China: the security of cellular (internet of things) modules.
Unlike the mythical urban rat, you really are never more than a few feet away from a cellular module. If semiconductors are the bricks with which the new industrial and lifestyle revolutions are being built, cellular modules are the doors and windows. They are small components embedded within equipment or devices which process software, have geolocation capability, e-sims to connect to the internet (in the manner of mobile phones) and much more. They transmit, receive and process vast amounts of data about their environments.
This is the stuff of nightmares. It may sound like fantasy or a sci-fi novel, but sadly it is not.
Britain’s best politics newsletters
You get two free articles each week when you sign up to The Spectator’s emails.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in