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China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) on Friday unveiled details of a case in which a suspect was recruited by foreign intelligence after the suspect leaked information related to his sensitive job on social media platforms. The ministry warned the public to be vigilant when socializing online, to enhance the awareness to protect personal information.

Various social media platforms have become necessary network tools for people due to their real-time communication advantages. At the same time, foreign intelligence agencies are constantly searching for targets on these platforms, attempting to "hunt" for secrets held by social media users, the MSS said in the article released on Friday.

There was one suspect, surnamed Zhao, who had the similar experience, according to the MSS. Zhao, who worked in a confidential unit, enjoyed taking selfies in the office and uploading them to social media platforms. Zhao often revealed his work unit in interactions with netizens.

Later, one "enthusiastic" netizen showed strong interest in Zhao's work, often probing for specific work content and expressing willingness to pay a large amount of money to buy internal information from Zhao's unit, suggesting that it would be best if Zhao could provide classified information.

Despite the fact that Zhao realized the netizen might be a foreign intelligence agency personnel, he still sold many confidential documents from his unit for money. Zhao has been investigated by national security agencies and will face legal judgement, said the MSS.

The ministry reminded the public that the overseas spy intelligence will keep in the background to gather sensitive information from social media platforms. They establish relationships with targets by posing as friends or offering collaborations, and then engage in infiltration and espionage through bribery, coercion, and threats to achieve their goals.

Regulating the content publishing behavior on social media platforms is not only a requirement to fulfill confidentiality obligations, but also a necessity to strengthen self-protection, said the MSS.

Employees of confidential units or those working in areas adjacent to sensitive locations should strictly adhere to confidentiality laws and regulations. They should not casually send or spread related content online, as this could provide opportunities for foreign intelligence agencies to engage in illegal activities, the MSS noted.

For instance, employees should not disclose the unit, position, or any other information related to classified personnel on social media platforms, and uploading or storing classified information should be strictly prohibited, the MSS said.

Global Times