China Pulls Flightradar24 From Markets Citing National Security Concerns

FR24 Pulled From Markets In China With Concerns of Espionage



Since the start of the month, Flightradar24 has been pulled from app stores in China as part of the recent renewal of the anti-espionage laws unveiled in China 7 years ago, providing a basis for safeguarding its national security. Whilst those who had the app before being unlisted are not affected, updates to the app are no longer pushed.

This has been done supposedly on the grounds that the equipment FR24 provides to users, namely ADS-B receivers and whatnot, are transmitting vital aviation data within its airspace, especially that of its military fleet, thus threatening the security of its notoriously secret operations within the PLAAF and having the government consider this as means of espionage and spying. The said equipment has been pointed out by local security organisations, launching individual investigations and seizing hundreds of the equipment that broke regulations.

According to authorities, the amount of receivers have the ability to provide coverage for military aircraft performing crucial operations in restricted airspaces to anyone at any time that is willing to look at it, including international organisations that might want to get their hands on the information, which has been judged to be considered a direct threat that would lead to catastrophic consequences.

It is also noted by local bloggers that Flightradar24 is currently working to put the app back under regulation, as well as hoping to have it relisted back to the Chinese public.

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Sources:

Also cheers @sqeezelemon for bringing this topic up, much appreciated.

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I feel really bad for all our avgeeks from China.:(

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Oh wow, that’s depressing.

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Does this mean American uses won’t be Able to see flights in China

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No,

We can still see flights in China, this is only affecting users in China from using FR24.

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Interesting. I’ll have to look into exactly why this happened.

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uh i have a question
if they dont want to let others see their military operations, why do they just not let only chinese users see flights?

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Probably because they care more about their citizens seeing their country’s military operations.

In other words, I don’t think China cares too much about what Foreigners see and say on a website, than their own citizens, as their citizens will be much more affected by the operations that the Chinese Military undertakes.

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No, this is false, I believe

According to this article (中國指 Flightradar24 或涉間諜活動 航班資訊對軍事安全構成威脅 - 香港 unwire.hk)
ADS-B in China will be removed, which means you can’t see the flights in China, maybe except satellite and predictions

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For now, we can.

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From what I can see, those seem to apply with receivers that are illegally installed where it will track certain airspaces that they don’t want tracked. I imagine the regulation will be heavily restricted and thus a lot less flights would be tracked within the country, which I think would be a big hit to tracking domestic flights that would use NAIP Airways if I had to guess.

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How unfortunate. Does this mean other tracking websites like AirNav RadarBox will also be blocked?

I feel so sorry for all the avgeeks in China - given most flight tracking and flight simulation companies are American - China is banning them from their app stores - which is really unfortunate.

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Flightradar is swedish and they are neutral sooooo

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I want to make a social credit joke here, but this is just sad to hear.

Sorry to any of our Chinese users.

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This is just depressing ☹️

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that’s unfortunate news! :(

Dang

I don’t get it, but whatever 🤷‍♂️

The US doesn’t show military aircraft on Flightradar24 (at least for the most part) so China can just make their own military radar thing that doesn’t show on Fr24

It does come up regularly. I’m no expert but perhaps they can switch it off? Sometimes I go to A-DSB Exchange to see more RAF aircraft however most show up on Flightradar24 or plane finder anyway. Air Force One, Air Force Two and the doomsday plane were visible on return from COP on FR24.

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China paranoid or summ 🤣🤣

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