Why Chinese spies are sending a chill through Silicon Valley
Tech companies are a growing target for corporate espionage and trade theft
Linwei Ding had been working at Google’s California headquarters for four years when he booked a one-way ticket to Beijing and, on Boxing Day, handed in his notice.
The resignation prompted questions at the tech giant’s security team, which had already been investigating Ding. A few weeks earlier, Ding had insisted he had no plans to quit when he was confronted about unusual activity on his employee account.
After reviewing CCTV footage, investigators found that several weeks earlier the Chinese national had convinced a colleague to scan his access badge at Google’s offices, creating the illusion he was at work.
Ding had, in fact, been thousands of miles away in China – presenting himself as the chief executive of a company called Zhisuan and seeking to raise funds. On January 6, the day before his flight was due to leave, FBI agents raided his house and seized his devices and passport.
Earlier this year, the US Justice Department charged Ding, 38, with stealing trade secrets from Google. Prosecutors said he had uploaded more than 500 files related to Google’s artificial intelligence technology to a personal account in an attempt to launch his own companies in China.
“We will fiercely protect sensitive technologies developed in America from falling into the hands of those who should not have them,” Merrick Garland, the US attorney general, vowed.
Ding has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face decades in prison.