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posted by martyb on Saturday November 09 2019, @05:41AM   Printer-friendly
from the harder-for-the-NSA-to-backdoor-Huawei-gear? dept.

US Official Criticizes Europe For Letting Huawei 5G Equipment Inside Borders

At this point, the United States' open opposition to Europe adopting Chinese tech giant Huawei's 5G equipment is well known. The US considers Huawei's legal commitments to the Chinese government and potential backdoors in the company's 5G equipment a national security threat. Subsequently, the country wants its European allies to forego 5G networking gear from Huawei at the cost of being left behind in the race to adopt the next-generation networking standard.

[...] Speaking at a tech conference in Lisbon, Portugal, US Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios urged Europe to follow America's lead in dealing with Huawei. Mr. Kratsios asked Europe to ''take a stand'' against the Chinese company who the US believes can be forced by China's intelligence to hand over sensitive data at any point in time.

Mr. Kratsios' statements come at a time when Europe is welcoming Huawei with open arms. Earlier this week Hungary announced that it would allow Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone to work with Huawei in introducing 5G services in the country. The decision marked another European country that's unfazed by the US' concerns. Germany, UK and other European countries have already laid down frameworks for letting Huawei's equipment broadcast 5G within their borders, but recent statements by the German foreign minister Heiko Maas suggest that Germany might be having second-thoughts about fully trusting Huawei.

Previously: Washington Asks Allies to Drop Huawei
Germany and the EU Likely to Embrace Huawei, Rebuff the U.S.
EU to Drop Threat of Huawei Ban but Wants 5G Risks Monitored


Original Submission

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Washington Asks Allies to Drop Huawei 36 comments

Submitted via IRC for SoyCow1984

Washington Asks Allies to Drop Huawei

The U.S. government has initiated an extraordinary outreach campaign to foreign allies, trying to persuade wireless and internet providers in these countries to avoid telecommunications equipment from China's Huawei Technologies Co., according to people familiar with the situation.

American officials have briefed their government counterparts and telecom executives in friendly countries where Huawei equipment is already in wide use, including Germany, Italy and Japan, about what they see as cybersecurity risks, these people said. The U.S. is also considering increasing financial aid for telecommunications development in countries that shun Chinese-made equipment, some of these people say.

Also: The US is warning other countries against using Huawei's 5G tech


Original Submission

Germany and the EU Likely to Embrace Huawei, Rebuff the U.S. 91 comments

Despite U.S. Pressure, Germany Refuses To Exclude Huawei's 5G Technology

The Trump administration insists that Chinese firm Huawei, which makes 5G technology, could hand over data to the Chinese government. The U.S. has warned European allies, including Germany, Hungary and Poland, to ban Huawei from its 5G network or risk losing access to intelligence-sharing.

Germany has refused to ban any company, despite pressure from the U.S. Instead, Chancellor Angela Merkel reiterated that her country would instead tighten security rules. "Our approach is not to simply exclude one company or one actor," she told a conference in Berlin on Tuesday, "but rather we have requirements of the competitors for this 5G technology."

Did The U.S. Just Lose Its War With Huawei?

"There are two things I don't believe in," Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday, referring to Germany's standoff with the United States over Huawei's inclusion in her country's 5G rollout. "First, to discuss these very sensitive security questions publicly, and, second, to exclude a company simply because it's from a certain country."

Europe now seems likely to settle on 'careful and considered' inclusion of Huawei instead of any blanket bans. Chancellor Merkel stressed this week that a joined-up EU response would be "desirable", and Italy and the U.K. are also backing away from Washington's prohibition on Huawei's 5G technology. If they fold, it is likely the broader European Union will follow suit. And if those key European allies can't be carried, what chance Asia-Pacific, Africa, the Middle East?

EU to Drop Threat of Huawei Ban but Wants 5G Risks Monitored 20 comments

Reuters

The European Commission will next week urge EU countries to share more data to tackle cybersecurity risks related to 5G networks but will ignore U.S. calls to ban Huawei Technologies, four people familiar with the matter said on Friday.

European digital chief Andrus Ansip will present the recommendation on Tuesday. While the guidance does not have legal force, it will carry political weight which can eventually lead to national legislation in European Union countries.

The United States has lobbied Europe to shut out Huawei, saying its equipment could be used by the Chinese government for espionage. Huawei has strongly rejected the allegations and earlier this month sued the U.S. government over the issue.

Ansip will tell EU countries to use tools set out under the EU directive on security of network and information systems, or NIS directive, adopted in 2016 and the recently approved Cybersecurity Act, the people said.

For example, member states should exchange information and coordinate on impact assessment studies on security risks and on certification for internet-connected devices and 5G equipment.

Huawei Sues FCC to Stop Ban on Huawei Gear in US-Funded Networks 6 comments

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/12/huawei-sues-fcc-to-stop-ban-on-huawei-gear-in-us-funded-

Huawei has sued the Federal Communications Commission over the agency's order that bans Huawei equipment in certain government-funded telecom projects.

[...] The FCC voted unanimously on November 22 to ban Huawei and ZTE equipment in projects paid for by the commission's Universal Service Fund (USF). The order will affect many small telecom providers that rely on the companies' network gear.

[...] "The US government has never presented real evidence to show that Huawei is a national security threat," Song said. "That's because this evidence does not exist. When pushed for facts, they respond that 'disclosing evidence might also undermine US national security.' This is complete nonsense."

[...] "We've built networks in places where other vendors would not go. They were too remote, or the terrain was difficult, or there just wasn't a big enough population," he said. "In the US, we sell equipment to 40 small wireless and wireline operators. They connect schools, hospitals, farms, homes, community colleges, and emergency services."

Hoftstra University law professor Julian Ku said that "even a small [Huawei] victory in the case, one that makes the FCC go and start the process over again, would be a huge victory for them," according to The New York Times. But it may be a difficult case for Huawei to win because US courts usually give federal agencies "a tremendous amount of deference," Ku said.

Previously:


Original Submission

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  • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Saturday November 09 2019, @05:54AM (2 children)

    by fustakrakich (6150) on Saturday November 09 2019, @05:54AM (#918170) Journal

    Do we even need or want it? Who's pushing this stuff? Is this so we can get get our amber alerts in hi-def and quadraphonic sound?

    --
    La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 09 2019, @07:07AM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 09 2019, @07:07AM (#918178)

      Gotta sell those smartphones somehow.

  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 09 2019, @12:05PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 09 2019, @12:05PM (#918214)

    At the same time, many EU technologists are urging the EU to take a stand against the US, because of the unbridled antidemocratic corporatism between the NSA, DoJ and the various technology companies. If the US wants to be taken seriously, it needs to clean up its own house first, not complain about the neighbours' smell.

    • (Score: 2) by Gaaark on Saturday November 09 2019, @11:54PM

      by Gaaark (41) on Saturday November 09 2019, @11:54PM (#918455) Journal

      And MS too: dump proprietary OS's and software!

      --
      --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 10 2019, @06:17AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 10 2019, @06:17AM (#918536)

      You whataboutist!

  • (Score: 2) by Gaaark on Saturday November 09 2019, @11:53PM (1 child)

    by Gaaark (41) on Saturday November 09 2019, @11:53PM (#918453) Journal

    "U.S. Chief Technology Officer Urges Europe to Take a Stand Against Huawei"

    What's the quid pro quo?

    --
    --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 10 2019, @06:21AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 10 2019, @06:21AM (#918538)

      "If you choose not to follow our recommendations, we will choose not to inform you where a truck of peace will strike next."

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