New American Edge Project Poll Highlights Unity Against Foreign Technological Threats

Stories involving Chinese hackers and the breaching of American security have become far too common today. Recently, however, the threat was taken to another level when reports came out claiming that both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have experienced Chinese hacking attempts in each of their respective campaigns. If our presidential candidates are not even safe from these malicious attacks, then who is?

These hacking attempts occurred right around the time the American Edge Project (AEP) released a new survey of U.S. and European voters in order to gauge their thoughts on Chinese and Russian technological threats. The poll surveyed 1,001 registered voters in the U.S., 1,000 registered voters in the U.K., 1,001 registered voters in France, 1,004 registered voters in Germany, and 502 voters in Belgium between August 27 and September 16, 2024.

Some key takeaways:

  • National Security Concerns: 9 in 10 voters are alarmed by the prospect of China and Russia conducting cyberattacks on their country’s critical infrastructure, hacking government entities, and running political influence campaigns.

  • Desire to Collaborate on Tech: 8 in 10 voters want Western leaders to cooperate to leverage tech's economic and national security benefits.

  • Open-Source Strength: Two-thirds of these voters believe open-source AI would strengthen their country's core values, innovation capabilities, and freedom.

AEP CEO Doug Kelly said: “For the fourth consecutive year, our survey shows that voters across Western countries are united in their concerns over the technological threats posed by China and Russia. These threats challenge our shared values, economic future, and national security. Innovation is our strongest defense, and the U.S. and Europe must work together to strengthen our technological leadership and protect against foreign adversaries.”

As an AEP Coalition member, TAPP is calling on Congress to listen to voters, increase its vigilance, and protect the Western world against foreign adversaries like China and Russia.

Read more about the AEP poll here.

Ainsley Shea