Defence Minister David McGuinty says Canada must “be vigilant” of foreign actors targeting the country’s technology, pointing to artificial intelligence and intellectual property as potential targets.

McGuinty had been asked by a reporter what the government is doing to protect technology being stolen from competitors like China.

“That’s a very, very big question. The government has seized with this responsibility nowhere more obviously than I think in the field of artificial intelligence where Canada is becoming a major player,” he said.

...

“We’re going to have to be vigilant. We have experience with this issue of the loss of intellectual property over time, for example, of Nortel previously.”

McGuinty added: “The safeguards that we’ve got in place now are significant. Our security and intelligence organizations have more than a watching brief on these kinds of activities,” he said on Thursday, announcing over $20 million in funding towards Canada’s third defence innovation secure hub dedicated to quantum technologies.

Canadian telecom giant Nortel dominated the global fibre optics industry for years before filing for bankruptcy in 2009 and liquidating in 2017.

...

Chinese espionage and hacking has been cited as a critical factor in the company’s demise by former company employees and media reporting.

Chinese hackers are alleged to have had a wide array of access to the former telecommunications giant as far back as 2000, which included downloaded business plans, research and development reports, employee emails, among other documents.

As Nortel Networks declined, Chinese multinational technology corporation Huawei grew to become one of the more dominant telecom equipment makers.

...

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[–] eestileib@sh.itjust.works 16 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm so much more worried about the US than China. Lost cause to try to scare me with Chinese corporations when the Liberals are shackling themselves to Palantir.

[–] Scotty@scribe.disroot.org -2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (3 children)

Chinese organizations and companies involved in these malign activities by the government in Beijing may not be such household names (in Canada) as Palantir and others, but they are nevertheless as dangerous.

Chinese espionage and political interference such as by the United Front Work Department, political and economic coercion, are well-known also in Canada, and they have long history in the country.

[–] eestileib@sh.itjust.works 9 points 2 weeks ago

Yes and India is assassinating people who live in British Columbia too.

The USA is the only country repeatedly announcing their intention to invade British Columbia and collaborating with a secession movement in Alberta.

[–] AGM@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 weeks ago

The idea that we're anything like as vulnerable to Chinese entities as we are to US entities is absurd. Whose tech stack is our economy, defense, intelligence, and educational systems built on and integrated with? It's not even close.

[–] Auli@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 weeks ago

And you don't think America dies all of of this and more? How many countries has China invaded vs America? Everyone acts like America is the good guy but they are not. They are just as bad as China and I would say worse we just paint them with a golden sheen. The favorite thing is Chinese companies have to follow Chinese law well no shit american companies have to follow american law and Microsoft has outride said it but nobody seemed to care because America is good. Or more lilelu the west has painted themselves into a corner.

[–] kibiz0r@midwest.social 4 points 2 weeks ago

https://pluralistic.net/2026/04/04/digital-subjugation/#greenlands-next

If Trump wants to steal Greenland, he doesn't need tanks or missiles. He can just tell Microsoft and Oracle to brick the entire Danish state and all of its key firms, blocking their access to their email archives, files, databases, and other key administrative tools. If Denmark still holds out, Trump can brick all their tractors, smart speakers, and phones. If Denmark still won't give up Greenland, Trump could blackhole all Danish IP addresses for the world's majority of transoceanic fiber. At the click of a mouse, Trump could shut down the world's supply of Lego, Ozempic, and delicious, lethally strong black licorice.

[–] Reannlegge@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

So that means the government is going to stop using windows and MS 360 right? Right…

[–] Scotty@scribe.disroot.org 1 points 2 weeks ago

Don't know why someone brings up the US whenever China is verifiably the first perpetrator, while no one engages in the same whataboutism and bringing up China when the US is criticized.

In Europe they have already begun to do it, so let's hope Canada follows soon.

[–] ArmchairAce1944@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 weeks ago

And so let's make legislation that makes the internet far more insecure and put our vital information in databases that will be hacked within less than 24 hours of upload. Like what happened in the UK with drivers licenses and passports...

[–] Auli@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 weeks ago

Canada's technology?/Canada is complex dependent on America for technology. WTF are these people on.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world -1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

So much for those cheap EVs, I guess. Canada will continue buying American for the foreseeable future.

[–] Scotty@scribe.disroot.org 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

What are cheap EVs and what do they have to do with the linked article?

[–] adespoton@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Seemed pretty obvious to me.

Canada makes vehicles and vehicle parts. So does China. Like with Nortel and Huawei, China is able to flood the Canadian market with cheap electric vehicles, effectively killing any domestic industry in the field.

And that’s before we even touch on telematics.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

China is able to flood the Canadian market with cheap electric vehicles, effectively killing any domestic industry in the field.

Canadian and Chinese firms can partner just as easily as Canadian and US firms. The idea that your industry will be "killed" because it integrates with a firm outside your jurisdiction is demonstrably false. Partnering, collaborating, and scaling up production are what all the Pacific Rim industrial states did back in the late-20th century.

Japanese, Korean, and Chinese EVs and cell phones and TVs and yadda-yadda exist because local firms partnered with western technology companies to build capital. And then national brands emerged from these countries that were globally competitive. If Japan had retreated back into Edo Era seclusion after WW2, companies like Sony and Nintendo and Toyota never would have broken ground, much less taken root globally.

Hell, look at the history of the cornerstone of the Taiwanese economy: TSMC. It exists to sell chipsets to Nvidia, Apple, Broadcom, and Qualcomm. Imagine if the Taiwanese had refused to do business with any of these foreign owned companies, for fear of these brands outcompeting Taiwanese domestic hardware.

Canada trying to wall itself off from the rest of the world in the name of economic independence will do far more harm to its economy than any partnership it strikes with global leaders in manufacturing.

[–] Scotty@scribe.disroot.org 0 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

@UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world

The idea that your industry will be “killed” because it integrates with a firm outside your jurisdiction is demonstrably false.

Your comment is misleading and a distraction. It depends with whom you integrate.

It has been demonstrated that China isn't a reliable partner as, amongst others, technology gets stolen. The article is very clear about it.

Mark Carney himself called out China as Canada's 'biggest security threat." He was so right ...

[–] Auli@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 weeks ago

This is so much BS. America is reliable?/Even before trump they where not. Example the tariff on softwood for decades. And they don't care and don't pay their fines. Covid times another example. Then there is the China well spy on use well what the fuck we are being spied in right now by American companies even your cars. But I guess if America makes money bits fine cause they are more like us or some stupid bullshit.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It has been demonstrated that China isn’t a reliable partner as, amongst others, technology gets stolen.

That's flatly false. The tech isn't "stolen", even my your own insane US dictated IP standards. It is purchased, in exchange for access to Chinese domestic labor and capital. Straight up contractually agreed to by Western companies.

And then it is iterated on and improved, resulting in products superior to the original at a lower price.

It's this last bit that has American firms terrified. They no longer have a legalist monopoly on mediocre products. Unless, of course, Canadians let them have it

[–] Scotty@scribe.disroot.org 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The article is even citing a very prominent example. Your remarks are just a distraction as always from this account.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

cited as a critical factor in the company’s demise by former company employees and media reporting

Lies and the Lying Liars That Tell Them

[–] Auli@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 weeks ago

And? This is what the west wanted cheap goods at any cost. Arrow must go up infinite growth and all that bullshit.