Just Like Here At Home - In The Good Ol' USofA

Headed for Olympics? Beware of Big Brother

Olympic Attendees Will Be Bugged and Searched, U.S. State Department Says

If you're planning on attending this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing, expect your hotel room to be bugged and searched while you're not there.

That's one of the warnings in a new fact sheet on the 2008 Olympics issued today by the U.S. State Department to Americans who intend to go to the games that are being hosted by the Chinese government.

"All visitors should be aware that they have no reasonable expectation of privacy in public or private locations," the fact sheet says. "All hotel rooms and offices are considered to be subject to on-site or remote technical monitoring at all times. Hotel rooms, residences and offices may be accessed at any time without the occupant's consent or knowledge."

This is similar to advice that U.S. officials visiting China follow. The U.S. military has been increasingly worried about Chinese electronic surveillance capabilities.

 

It’s awful nice of the Chinese Government to go to so much effort to make American tourists feel at home during the Olympics.