President Biden Calls for New Protocols to Protect Against Foreign Espionage and Surveillance After Chinese Spy Balloon Incident

President Joe Biden gave his first formal remarks on the Chinese spy balloon shot down by the U.S. military, calling for new protocols to ensure the safety of American citizens.

The U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORTHCOM/NORAD) announced Friday that searches for two unidentified objects which were recently shot down by the U.S. military — over Alaska and the Great Lakes region — have concluded with no sign of debris from either.

The statement came hours after officials said the U.S. has finished efforts to recover the remnants of the large balloon that was shot down Feb. 4 off the coast of South Carolina. Analysis of the debris so far reinforces conclusions that it was a Chinese spy balloon.

The U.S. military said Friday that it has ended its search for airborne objects that were shot down near Deadhorse, Alaska, and over Lake Huron on Feb. 10 and 12. Navy, Coast Guard and FBI personnel collected all of that balloon’s debris off the ocean floor, which included key equipment from the payload that could reveal what information it was able to monitor and collect.

In his remarks, President Biden said that the U.S. must take steps to ensure the safety of American citizens and their data. He called for the implementation of new protocols and safeguards to protect against foreign espionage and surveillance. He also said that the U.S. must work with its allies to ensure that all countries are held to the same standards.

The incident has raised concerns about the potential for foreign espionage and surveillance, and the U.S. government is taking steps to address the issue. The U.S. is working to ensure that all countries are held to the same standards and that American citizens and their data are protected.