It’s hard to make many hard conclusions given the lack of verifiable data. The PRC is an extremely capable cyber threat actor, but even still lower and mid-level CCP officials are prone to wild exaggerations.
We can’t know the real capability of penetrating smart phones presented by the system in question with the information available. However, regardless of the technical merits of this story some things remain true:
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Don’t travel to mainland China if you are of interest to the PRC government
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Assume any devices carried across a port of entry into the PRC will be searched, therefore do not bring a device that will get you in trouble. Only travel with a completely ‘clean’ device
And most importantly:
- Technical solutions for phone search and seizure are pointless in a country with no due process where the government routinely employs extreme coercion to include torture or the imprisonment and execution of family members to ensure compliance.
Refer to the “I’ll hit him with a wrench” XKCD comic.