What Happened?

If you work or study at a U.S. college, the lab down the hall may be doing research foreign governments want, and the FBI has no plan for working more closely with campuses to protect it. A Government Accountability Office report released Oct. 16 found the bureau relies on tips from universities to spot what it calls nontraditional intelligence collectors, but hasn’t figured out how to strengthen those ties, according to a Legis1 review of the report. ​

Nontraditional collectors aren’t professional spies. They’re people whose main job isn’t intelligence work but who gather sensitive U.S. information for foreign governments or companies. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found they’re hard to catch, partly because what they do often isn’t illegal until the information is handed over.

Why Does it Matter to Me?

Some of these collectors work on campuses as researchers or students, GAO said. FBI officials told GAO that strong campus relationships help schools bring them tips and ask for help, and GAO concluded that without a plan, the bureau’s ability to protect U.S. research, intellectual property and technological edge is hindered.

The relationship is uneven. Representatives of academic associations told GAO the FBI’s outreach could improve and that its ties are stronger at some schools than others. FBI officials said cultural differences get in the way and that universities may not want to be seen as “turning over” their own students.

Both Sides, Now

Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) and Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) requested the review in 2024, citing an FBI estimate that Chinese government-backed economic spying and intellectual property theft “costs the U.S. between $225 billion and $600 billion per year,” according to their request letter.

Some scientists and civil rights groups warn that closer FBI scrutiny of campuses can single out researchers of Chinese descent, as critics say happened under the Justice Department’s China Initiative, which ended in 2022. More than 80 groups and over 1,000 academics opposed a proposal to revive that program, and Congress dropped it from a spending law in January, Chemistry World reported. “This is a meaningful victory,” the Asian American Scholar Forum said.

What Happens Next?

GAO made one recommendation: that the FBI director create and carry out a plan to strengthen partnerships with colleges and universities. The FBI agreed, but GAO still lists the recommendation as open, meaning the bureau hasn’t shown it has acted.

---

AllCiv makes it easy to stay politically informed and involved.

---

Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article