US and UK announce sanctions over China-linked hacks on officials, lawmakers and election watchdog WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio [Video]

LONDON — (AP) — The U.S. and British governments on Monday announced sanctions against a company and two individuals linked to the Chinese government over a string of malicious cyberactivity, detailing a yearslong state-backed operation that targeted officials, lawmakers and the U.K.’s election watchdog.

British officials said those sanctioned are responsible for a hack that may have gained access to information on tens of millions of U.K. voters held by the Electoral Commission, as well as for cyberespionage targeting lawmakers who have been outspoken about threats from China.

The Foreign Office said the hack of the election registers “has not had an impact on electoral processes, has not affected the rights or access to the democratic process of any individual, nor has it affected electoral registration.”

The Electoral Commission said in August that “hostile actors” had gained access to its servers from around 2021 to 2022.

At the time, the watchdog said the data included …