Commentary
Republicans and Democrats don’t agree on much. However, when the idea of a special House committee designed to focus on China was put forward, it received bipartisan support.
That’s because concerns over communist China’s influence on and in the United States are at an all-time high. NBC News reported last year that Chinese spying in the United States is now so prevalent that the FBI launches an average of two counterintelligence investigations every 24 hours to counter the threat. Speaking to NBC, FBI Director Christopher Wray said that no country “presents a broader, more severe threat to our innovation, our ideas and our economic security than China does,” adding that Beijing’s espionage tactics have reached a new level that is “more brazen“ and ”more damaging than ever before.”
Nine months on from the interview, in November, the FBI warned that TikTok, an app used by at least 80 million Americans, could be spying on U.S. citizens, including government officials.
But what about other products or services that are made in China?
This brings us to Timekettle, a Chinese company that has, according to its website, been featured in TechCrunch, The New York Times, Techradar, and Mashable. Founded by Leal Tian and headquartered in Shenzhen, the “Silicon Valley of China,” the company sells wireless earbuds that, according to its website, offer a “revolutionary” interpretation experience for two or more persons wearing these devices.
The earbuds, intended for face-to-face interactions, translate a speaker’s words into 40 different languages in a matter of seconds. In this multicultural world where the dominance of the English language is being challenged, it’s easy to see why the demand for such a product is high. These devices work both online and offline, and can be used in boardrooms and classrooms, as well as when traveling to foreign lands. If customer reviews of their many models of earbuds are to be believed, Timekettle makes very decent products at very affordable prices. Besides translating into dozens of languages, the earbuds also offer the option of interpreting the words in 90 different accents.
Timekettle, it must be noted, also rolled out the Beta version of a chat translation service in May last year for both iOS and Android phones. Like the earbuds, it can translate conversations into 40 different languages. The company recently showcased its products at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (“CES 2023”), which was held in Las Vegas from Jan. 5 to 8.
A worker drives a lift during preparations at the Las Vegas Convention Center before the start of the CES tech show in Las Vegas on Jan. 2, 2023. John Locher/AP Photo
However, this is, first and foremost, a Chinese company, and in China, there is no such thing as a private company. More importantly, this is a Chinese company that makes high-tech products and sells them to customers around the world, including in the United States. One of those customers happens to be Danville Middle School in Schertz, Texas. Timekettle’s products appear to be particularly popular in schools, especially U.S. schools. A Timekettle press release from September last year suggests that “many schools” across the United States are using its translator earbuds. Besides Danville, per the press release, Ottumwa Community School District, a public school district serving the city of Ottumwa, Iowa, is a user of this “award-winning” product.
As cultural and linguistic diversity is incredibly high in the United States, it’s understandable why schools like Danville and Ottumwa would use a Timekettle-type product. There doesn’t appear to be any other product on the market that offers such a unique translation service. However, in a time when concerns over Chinese spying have reached boiling point, important questions must be asked. What is done with the data? Can any other individuals listen in on conversations? Where are Timekettle’s servers located?
I reached out to the company for comment. At the time of publishing this piece, no response had been offered.
It might sound far-fetched, but concerns about eavesdropping headphones and rogue wireless earbuds are nothing new. Moreover, phones, laptops, and cameras that have been made in China have been accused of being spyware for Beijing. Why not high-tech devices that record conversations, from the inane to the significant (think important government meetings, academic conferences, etc.)? China, we’re told, has infiltrated the U.S. education system, where the earbuds appear to be particularly popular. Chinese spies routinely listen in on the conversations of people in foreign lands. One needn’t be a card-carrying QAnon member to have concerns.
As a leading UK spy chief warned last year, cheaper technology from China might seem like a tempting offer, but such supposed bargains could prove to be a Faustian bargain of sorts, exposing nations to a host of security threats. Is Timekettle, like TikTok, a national security threat? Surely, this is a question that deserves to be asked and thoroughly explored by those in power.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
