ByREUTERS

US officials are backpedaling on claims that several government agencies were hacked by Chinese spies, now saying that the organizations were among the hackers' targets. 

In a freshly edited statement, the Justice Department said Friday that the US Senate, the Federal Reserve, NASA, and others were "among the targets of QTFY," a Chinese spy platform that officials called out on Wednesday during an internet domain seizure operation.

A previous version of the statement said the government agencies had been among the hackers' victims.

A LAPTOP with binary codes displayed in front of the Chinese flag. Individuals basically do not care if their personal data are stolen, unless the hacker personally locks them out of their accounts or the theft has some other major concrete negative impact on their lives.
A LAPTOP with binary codes displayed in front of the Chinese flag. Individuals basically do not care if their personal data are stolen, unless the hacker personally locks them out of their accounts or the theft has some other major concrete negative impact on their lives. (credit: DADO RUVIC/REUTERS)

Statement edited 

A note left at the bottom of the newly edited statement said that "Edits have been made to ensure this press release accurately reflects the government’s allegations in the affidavit in support of the domain seizures."

Reuters could not immediately establish which specific agencies the government now believed had been targeted and which ones had been breached. Messages seeking clarification from the Justice Department, the FBI, and CISA were not immediately returned on Friday.