On January 15, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) released a video on social media platform X providing step-by-step instructions for securely contacting the agency. The video states that the CIA “wants to know the truth about China” and is seeking individuals who have such information and are willing to share it.
The video outlines nine practical measures aimed at protecting anonymity and personal safety. These include purchasing communication devices with cash or gift cards to avoid identity disclosure, using public Wi-Fi locations for anonymous access, downloading web browsers and VPN software from U.S. or other Western providers, creating new email accounts, and contacting the CIA via the dark web. The agency also advises that, if circumstances permit, individuals should consider leaving the country before carrying out the first step.
This is not the CIA’s first outreach effort of this kind. In May 2025, the agency released two Chinese-language videos titled “Why I Contacted the CIA: To Take Control of My Fate” and “Why I Contacted the CIA: For a Better Life.” The short films portrayed fictional scenarios in which Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials, concerned about their own and their families’ futures, ultimately chose to cooperate with the CIA.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe said in a statement that he believes such videos can penetrate China’s internet censorship and reach relevant audiences inside mainland China. A U.S. official added that the agency would not continue producing the videos if they were ineffective, underscoring that in the broader strategic competition between the United States and China, the CCP remains the CIA’s top intelligence priority.
Source: Epoch Times, January 16, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/1/16/n14677269.htm