"Security Concerns with 5G Networks

Many observers are concerned about the vulnerabilities of 5G networks to exploitation by foreign intelligence services. An individual’s ability to use 5G-enabled networks and systems for positive purposes also suggests this same technology can be exploited by foreign intelligence to manipulate perceptions and behavior.

That manipulation is likely to take various forms, including efforts to deceive and confuse people in various ways about what is happening and what the truth is ... overloading people’s senses with useless or irrelevant information so that we cannot accurately discern what adversaries are doing or what is important; and putting misinformation before us to erroneously confirm pre-existing biases and cause us to misperceive reality and to choose the wrong courses of action. They will also try to stoke long-standing animosities and fears so that Americans fight with each other and look foolish to the world we are supposed to be leading.140

The amount of personal information available for exploitation will expand exponentially with 5G technology, along with doubts as to the security of the networks. This raises concerns among privacy advocates and national security professionals. National security professionals foresee significant challenges for the U.S. intelligence, military, and diplomatic communities in terms of their ability to interact freely and discreetly with foreign nationals who may be deterred by the threat of an aggressive counterintelligence posture.141"

"In the United States, private industry is leading deployment efforts. The U.S. government is supporting 5G deployment by identifying and allocating spectrum for 5G use and streamlining rules related to siting of 5G small cell. However, there are factors that may hinder 5G deployment in the United States, including the complex spectrum allocation process, local resistance to small cell rules, and limitations on trade that may affect the availability of 5G equipment and devices."