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China's MSS discloses case of SOE employee arrested for repeatedly visiting overseas anti-China websites and spreading political rumors

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Nov 10, 2025 02:43 PM

China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) on Monday disclosed a case involving a state-owned enterprise (SOE) employee who repeatedly accessed overseas anti-China websites, watched videos spreading political rumors about China, downloaded and disseminated them, and was lawfully arrested by state security authorities. The MSS warned the public not to fall into the trap of using illegal VPN services.

In today's mobile internet era, going online to access news and information has become a common way for people to learn about the outside world. However, some netizens lack legal and risk-prevention awareness, and illegally use VPN services to visit overseas websites, register accounts, and join group chats. Such behavior not only exposes personal information security risks, but can even affect national security and social stability, according to the article released by the MSS via its WeChat account on Monday.

These so-called applications or services often claim to protect users' privacy and data security. In reality, providers or external attackers can exploit various vulnerabilities to steal users' browsing histories, account passwords and other personal data, ultimately causing potentially immeasurable losses, said the MSS.

For instance, one user browsed overseas websites using such software and paid a fee to an organization via credit card. Six months later the card was fraudulently charged for thousands of dollars, according to the MSS.

Some tools are controlled by foreign forces, and some are even developed and operated directly by overseas intelligence agencies, according to the MSS. By secretly installing Trojan malware, they extract users' personal information and files stored on devices and transmit them back to operators, said the MSS.

An employee of a classified unit, seeking to access overseas academic forums, unknowingly installed a program that was actually developed by an overseas intelligence agency, which allowed remote control of the individual's work phone and computer and resulted in the theft of a large amount of classified research materials. The state security authorities have pursued the individual's criminal liability, the MSS said.

Some unsuspecting netizens are easily influenced by fraudulent information, extremist ideas, and political rumors. This can turn an initial "curious browse" into "active participation," making them victims or accomplices of illegal activities, creating legal risks, the MSS warned.

The MSS stressed that cyberspace is not a lawless place, and accessing overseas websites via illegal tools is strictly prohibited.

The MSS reminded the public to avoid using such software or services, exercise caution when downloading apps from unknown sources, and cultivate safe online habits.

Individuals and organizations with legitimate academic or business needs shall conduct overseas network access through lawful, proper channels approved by the state, the MSS said.