Chairman John Moolenaar of the House Select Committee on China and Chairman Andrew Garbarino of the Committee on Homeland Security have sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. The letter expresses concern about Alibaba Group's planned involvement in supporting the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The letter was also signed by Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi of the House Select Committee on China and Ranking Member Bennie Thompson of the Committee on Homeland Security. Lawmakers highlighted Alibaba’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its role in digital surveillance and censorship.
"Alibaba serves as a critical enabler of the CCP’s digital surveillance and censorship apparatus. The company appears to have partnered with Chinese military firms on surveillance and weapons development, helped process data for PRC intelligence agencies, and established a CCP party committee within the company," the lawmakers write in the letter. "Given that the 2028 Olympics will be held in the United States, it is imperative that Alibaba not receive any access to a major U.S. city’s infrastructure and security information, which would create unacceptable exposure to espionage, data exploitation, and foreign influence operations at a globally significant event."
The lawmakers also noted Los Angeles' strategic importance due to its proximity to military installations, defense contractors, critical infrastructure, and technology companies.
"Alibaba’s provision of cloud infrastructure, e-commerce, ticketing, and broadcasting services in prior Olympics has already given the company substantial access to systems and personnel," they continue. "This risk is heightened by the nature of the CCP’s influence over PRC-based companies and the increasing geopolitical tension surrounding critical technology platforms."
They concluded their letter with concerns about allowing any PRC-controlled provider operational roles related to U.S. infrastructure without verified security controls.
"Given the CCP’s clear strategic interest in exploiting foreign data systems, we believe that no PRC-controlled provider should be given any operational role unless the U.S. Government can verify the implementation of robust and demonstrable security controls—if such controls are even possible," according to their statement.
A full copy of their letter is available online.
