Despite Apple’s cool reputation and Samsung’s innovation in such a wide array of tech products,
it’s more commonly Chinese firm Huawei making headlines, often for alleged breaches of cyber
security and accusations that the company’s main purpose is the surveillance of the general
population.
So despite becoming one of the biggest tech organisations in the world with annual revenues
of over $100 billion, why is Huawei’s reputation so mixed and how can we really be sure if
the firm is spying on us?
Here’s How It happened.
After the company’s creation by a former member of the Chinese military in the mid
80s, Huawei began by installing and maintaining
telephone exchanges before branching out into hardware aimed at consumers and small businesses.
After operating nearly exclusively in China until the year 2000, the firm is now a global
presence in the smartphone, tablet and laptop sectors, with more than 20 research and development
centres around the world and more recently but perhaps most controversially has become
a key figurehead in the distribution of 5G technology
As stated on their official site, the company has only ever been owned by its own employees
and has firmly denied any connection to the Chinese state.
So why have their products been completely banned in countries like the US
And what exactly have Huawei been accused of?
Well the answer depends on who you’re willing to believe, but you don’t have to look far
to find accusations of the firm’s underhand tactics.
Tech giants Cisco and T-Mobile have both successfully sued Huawei over the theft of Intellectual
Property,
While in 2012, the company’s CFO was revealed to have facilitated the import of over 1 million
euros worth of HP computer equipment into Iran,
In direct breach of US sanctions against the import of American goods into the country.
And the firm’s international reputation has only gone downhill from there.
Countries like the UK and the United States have all grown suspicious of Huawei’s business
motives, mainly their 5G expansion.
As American security services have pointed out, China’s 2017 National Intelligence
Law dictates that organisations must ‘support, co-operate with and collaborate in national
intelligence work, meaning its possible that Huawei is legally obliged to assist their
own government.
Fingers have also been pointed at Ren Zhengfei’s military background, with President Donald
Trump describing the use of Huawei products in his country as a ‘national security concern’.
Huawei have responded by vehemently denying any links to the Chinese state and insist
their devices and networks offer no threat to any country.
Their website even contains a detailed FAQ section in which the firm explains their stance
on a whole host of accusations and charges.
But the widespread skepticism doesn’t seem to have made much impact on their sales figures,
as Huawei became the second biggest smartphone manufacturer in the world in 2018 overtaking
Apple and only behind South Korean rival Samsung.
That said, US officials have since gone as far as banning any Huawei technology from
their shores, with countries like Australia, who blocked Huawei from tendering contracts
with the country’s National Broadband Network, and the UK, who insist all Huawei equipment
must be removed by 2027, making similar moves.
The United States ban even extends to the operations of American companies with Huawei,
meaning fundamental apps like Gmail, YouTube and Google Maps would no longer be compatible
with Huawei smartphones.
But at least the firm has seen the funny side, taking to Twitter to offer a 100% discount
to customers based in the USA on Black Friday.
Since the ban was imposed by the world’s richest country, Huawei has faced further
backlash for its role in the mistreatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang and the abuse of its
own workforce, leading more countries like France and Japan to consider imposing their
own restrictions.
With rumours escalating and nations unable to decide how best to combat Huawei, at the
end of 2020, the US government announced the launch of The Clean Network, an initiative
agreed by over 60 countries that would aim to set global digital trust standards and
encourage transparent security practices and data privacy, a move seen by many as a direct
step to counter Chinese tech firms.
In spite of all these negative headlines, the company still claims that over a third
of the world’s population uses Huawei technology on a daily basis to carry out their communication,
making Ren Zhengfei’s empire a hugely influential presence in society.
Don’t forget to hit like, subscribe and comment below if you think you can trust Huawei.
That’s How It Happened
And thanks for watching.