𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Chinese-made smart vapes should be banned in Britain over spying fears, a cross-party campaign group has warned. The Coalition on Secure Technology said e-cigarettes made in Beijing with features such as touchscreens and Bluetooth could be used to harvest people’s data.

It comes after American politicians raised concerns that the devices may pose a risk to national security. Labour MP Graeme Downie, who chairs the coalition, said warnings from the US should be a “wake-up call” to the UK.

Mr Downie said: “As smart, internet-connected tech become more common in everyday products, we must stay alert to the risk of remote snooping and meddling by hostile actors.

“The vape in someone’s pocket really could be used to quietly harvest data or track their movements.

“Millions of these ‘smart vapes’ are manufactured in China where the state has sweeping powers over industry, raising serious questions about where data could end up and who can access it.

“The warnings coming out of the US should be a wake-up call. We need to ban this Chinese-made tech from vapes sold in the UK.”

The Coalition on Secure Technology, which is made up of policymakers and experts, is calling on the Government to ensure that new technology is assessed not just for safety and public health but also for potential data and security risks.

It comes after a group of Senate Republicans issued a warning over Chinese-made smart vapes in a letter to the Trump administration earlier this year.

They said the “highly sophisticated” devices had the ability to connect to a person’s smartphone.

They said: “These devices have the capacity to initiate data breaches or malware infections and can also access and collect sensitive user data.

“Given the interconnected relationship between Chinese industry and state intelligence services, the targeting of US military personnel with these devices raises profound national security concerns.”

A National Cyber Security Centre spokesperson said: “While the likelihood of someone targeting vapes is low, any device that connects to the internet can carry some level of risk.

“Ultimately, it’s up to individuals to decide whether the added features of a ‘smart’ device make it worth connecting it online, and people should be aware of the potential security implications that can come with that choice.

“At the same time, companies that design and sell internet connected devices must take responsibility for building strong security into them and maintaining it over time.”