This case has intensified bipartisan concern over China’s influence in cyberspace. While Republican lawmakers have previously accused technology platforms of political bias, Salt Typhoon has unified attention on securing national infrastructure.
Last month, the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) imposed an immediate ban on employees and contractors using mobile phones for work-related calls. The action stems from concerns over potential eavesdropping and data theft, sparked by what officials have described as a sweeping espionage operation conducted by Salt Typhoon.
Companies such as Verizon, AT&T, Lumen, and T-Mobile have been implicated in the breaches. Verizon confirmed it was one of several firms accessed by hackers, who focused on targeting key individuals in politics and government. T-Mobile and Lumen stated that customer data remained unaffected.
