The Chinese spy balloon used an American Internet provider
In February, the United States shot down a Chinese balloon suspected of being used for surveillance. According to NBC News, the balloon managed to connect to an American Internet service provider. U.S. officials told NBC that they may, as a result, collect messages sent to and from China.
A U.S. Air Force F-22 fighter shot down a balloon off the coast of South Carolina in February after the device hovered over the U.S. for more than a week. At the time, U.S. intelligence officials were tracking the balloon, NBC News reports, citing two current and one former U.S. official familiar with the matter. According to NBC News, the balloon used the services of an American Internet service provider.
Observing the balloon
The unnamed officials said the Biden administration had asked the court for an order allowing intelligence officials to watch the balloon as it moved through the states.
While it is unclear whether the order was issued, U.S. officials told NBC News that intelligence was collected during the balloon flight, including messages sent to and from China through a U.S. internet company.
American technology
According to previous reports by The Wall Street Journal, the balloon was loaded with American technology to help collect photos and information.
China insisted at the time that the balloon was used “mainly for meteorological purposes.” In a statement to NBC News about the internet service she allegedly used, Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, maintained it was a weather balloon.
The Pentagon has said that spy balloons have been spotted several times in the US in recent years, and experts previously told Business Insider that the technology was most likely sent for espionage purposes.
