The British Olympic Association (BOA) will provide temporary phones to Team GB athletes and staff at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing, amid concerns that personal devices could be targeted by Chinese government surveillance.
While the delegation is not banned from taking their own mobile devices, the BOA has warned against it, citing fears that authorities could install spyware to extract private information or track future activity. A BOA spokesperson said: “We’ve given athletes and staff practical advice so that they can make their own choice as to whether they take their personal devices to the Games, or not. Where they do not want to take their own equipment, we have provisioned temporary devices for them to use.”
The Dutch Olympic Committee has taken a stricter approach, instructing its athletes not to bring personal phones or laptops, anticipating possible surveillance. According to Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant, the committee will provide devices that will be destroyed upon return. NOC*NSF spokesperson Geert Slot said: “The importance of cybersecurity has grown over the years. But China has completely closed off its internet, which makes it a specific case.”
Team GB athletes have also been advised to consult the BOA before raising political issues during the Games, as at previous Olympics. However, they will be allowed to post on social media, with China granting access to Twitter and Facebook for foreign athletes and journalists during the event.
