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The authorities are concerned about the possible impact of LiDAR on the national security of the country.
The Special Committee on the Communist Party of China (CPC), headed by Mike Gallagher, sent a letter to US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, US Army General Lloyd Austin and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen asking them to investigate Chinese LiDAR system manufacturers and the possibility of sanctions against such organizations.
LiDAR is a technology used in autonomous systems and robotics, but it is not currently subject to U.S. export controls or government procurement restrictions, which raises a number of concerns. Lawmakers have expressed concern that Beijing could demand massive amounts of data from LiDAR manufacturers at any time, potentially providing information that relates not only to US mapping and infrastructure, but also to US military systems.
In addition, the letter expresses concern that Chinese LiDAR manufacturers may "introduce malware through software updates, which may degrade the operation of US systems." The committee also suggested that it may be too late – Chinese LiDAR devices are already present in defense systems and platforms.
Members of Congress have also linked LiDAR manufacturers to human rights abuses against the Uighur population in China. According to Gallagher, LiDAR technology is used to monitor the minority Muslim population.
Human rights organizations have long pointed to the widespread suppression of the Uighur population in China, ranging from tracking and incarceration to forced labor and cultural re-education. Some groups even claim to conduct campaigns to forcibly sterilize Uighurs. In July, it was revealed that Chinese video surveillance equipment maker Hikvision last year received $6 million from the Beijing government for technology to identify Uighurs, a Muslim ethnic group in China.
LiDAR uses pulsed laser light to measure the distance, speed, and height of objects, and to map the environment. The technology has a wide range of applications and has recently been actively used in autonomous vehicles – an area in which China is rapidly advancing both in the domestic market and as an exporter.
The Special Committee on the Communist Party of China (CPC), headed by Mike Gallagher, sent a letter to US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, US Army General Lloyd Austin and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen asking them to investigate Chinese LiDAR system manufacturers and the possibility of sanctions against such organizations.
LiDAR is a technology used in autonomous systems and robotics, but it is not currently subject to U.S. export controls or government procurement restrictions, which raises a number of concerns. Lawmakers have expressed concern that Beijing could demand massive amounts of data from LiDAR manufacturers at any time, potentially providing information that relates not only to US mapping and infrastructure, but also to US military systems.
In addition, the letter expresses concern that Chinese LiDAR manufacturers may "introduce malware through software updates, which may degrade the operation of US systems." The committee also suggested that it may be too late – Chinese LiDAR devices are already present in defense systems and platforms.
Members of Congress have also linked LiDAR manufacturers to human rights abuses against the Uighur population in China. According to Gallagher, LiDAR technology is used to monitor the minority Muslim population.
Human rights organizations have long pointed to the widespread suppression of the Uighur population in China, ranging from tracking and incarceration to forced labor and cultural re-education. Some groups even claim to conduct campaigns to forcibly sterilize Uighurs. In July, it was revealed that Chinese video surveillance equipment maker Hikvision last year received $6 million from the Beijing government for technology to identify Uighurs, a Muslim ethnic group in China.
LiDAR uses pulsed laser light to measure the distance, speed, and height of objects, and to map the environment. The technology has a wide range of applications and has recently been actively used in autonomous vehicles – an area in which China is rapidly advancing both in the domestic market and as an exporter.
