National security at risk: US bans Huawei devices

The US government has banned the sale and import of communications equipment from Chinese smartphone manufacturers and network providers Huawei and ZTE. They posed an unacceptable risk to national security.

This was announced by the US telecommunications regulator FCC on Friday. “As a result of our order, no new Huawei or ZTE devices can be approved,” FCC Commissioner Brandon Carr wrote on Twitter. It is also possible to revoke existing permits. It is the “first time in FCC history” that new devices have been banned due to national security concerns.

The decision comes as no surprise. US President Joe Biden last year sealed the exclusion of Huawei and ZTE network technology from the US market, continuing his Republican predecessor Donald Trump’s policy of economic crime with China. The law had broad bipartisan support at the time.

vote within a year

The FCC now had to vote on the corresponding order within a year for it to be enforced. The US accuses Huawei of close ties to Chinese authorities and warns of espionage and sabotage. The company denies the allegations.

In addition to Huawei and ZTE, the arrangement also affects devices from Hytera Communications, as well as Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology and Dahua Technology. “Even new devices from Dahua, Hikvision or Hytera cannot be approved unless they assure the FCC that their devices will not be used for public safety, government safety or other national security purposes,” Carr wrote on Twitter. Huawei and ZTE are already heavily hit by US sanctions. (aeg/sda/dpa)