Congressman John Moolenaar Chairman of the Select Committee on the CCP | Official U.S. House headshot
Congressman John Moolenaar Chairman of the Select Committee on the CCP | Official U.S. House headshot
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 raises concerns about the International Olympic Committee’s ongoing partnership with Alibaba Group, a company identified as closely linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its digital surveillance operations. Ranking Members Raja Krishnamoorthi and Bennie Thompson also signed the letter.
Alibaba is currently set to play a role in supporting the 2028 Olympic Games scheduled for Los Angeles. Lawmakers highlighted several issues regarding Alibaba's connections, stating: "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," according to their letter. They added, "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 pointed out that Los Angeles is strategically important due to its proximity to military bases, defense contractors, key infrastructure facilities, and technology companies.
They further stated: "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. 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."
Concluding their message to Secretary Noem, they wrote: "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."
The full text of their letter can be accessed online.
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