China’s Ministry of State Security has cautioned gamers about potential espionage risks associated with popular augmented reality mobile games. The warning stems from reports indicating a company linked to foreign defense interests may be collecting geospatial data through these games. Specifically, billions of environmental scans from a widely-played game are allegedly being used to train artificial intelligence models. These AI models could have applications in military contexts, raising national security concerns for China. The MSS cited media coverage highlighting the “militarisation of civilian data” as the basis for its alert. Authorities have not named the game or the AI company involved, but are urging vigilance regarding data privacy and security. This action underscores China’s increasing focus on protecting sensitive information and countering potential foreign intelligence gathering.