WASHINGTON, Feb 29 (Reuters) - The United States is opening an investigation into whether Chinese vehicle imports pose national security risks and could impose restrictions due to concerns about "connected" car technology, the White House said on Thursday.

The U.S. Commerce Department probe is needed because vehicles "collect large amounts of sensitive data on their drivers and passengers (and) regularly use their cameras and sensors to record detailed information on U.S. infrastructure," the White House said.

American President Joe Biden has accused China of using “unfair practices” to undercut legacy vehicle manufacturers, citing national security risks.

In a White House briefing earlier today, President Biden addressed China and the impact the nation was having on the automotive industry in the United States.

He unveiled “unprecedented actions” to ensure that cars on US roads from countries of concern, including China, do not undermine national security.

Biden has directed the Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to conduct an investigation into connected vehicles.

President Biden took steps on Thursday toward blocking internet-connected Chinese cars and trucks from entry to the American auto market, including electric vehicles, saying they posed risks to national security because their operating systems could send sensitive information to Beijing.

The immediate action was the opening of a Commerce Department investigation into security threats, which could lead to new regulations or restrictions on Chinese vehicles.

Lawmakers in Europe have been shaken by allegations that Tatjana Ždanoka, a Latvian member of the European Parliament, has been working undercover as a Russian spy.

A crucial document from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency, or ISI, undermines a major plank in the high-profile prosecution of the country’s former prime minister, Imran Khan.

On November 7, NSO Group, the Israeli spyware company infamous for its Pegasus phone-tapping technology, sent an urgent email and letter by UPS to request a meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and officials at the U.S. State Department. 

FBI Director Christopher Wray said that Russia still has numerous spies operating in the United States during a Q&A at the Spy Museum on Thursday. 

“The Russian traditional counterintelligence threat continues to loom large,” said Wray. “The Russian intelligence footprint, and by that I mean intelligence officers, is still way too big in the United States and something we are constantly bumping up against and trying to block and prevent and disrupt in every way we can.”

Following the arrest of two Navy sailors on Thursday on charges of spying for China, Representative Mike Gallagher (R., Wis.) called on American legislators and federal agencies to respond forcefully.

Two US Navy sailors were arrested for allegedly conspiring to pass sensitive security information to Chinese officials in separate plots, officials announced Thursday.

Jinchao Wei, a 22-year-old sailor aboard the San Diego-based USS Essex, was busted Wednesday on espionage charges after he provided China with detailed information of the ship and its crew.

Two U.S. Navy sailors have been arrested on charges related to allegedly spying for China, federal prosecutors announced on Thursday.

Both are accused of having passed along national defense information to Chinese intelligence officials in return for cash payments, though their cases are separate.

Jinchao "Patrick" Wei, a 22-year-old petty officer 2nd class, was arrested Wednesday and charged with espionage -- more specifically, conspiracy to and committing the communication of defense information to aid a foreign government.