Google warns about US security risks from the Huawei ban
Google has warned the Trump administration that it could weaken US national security if it is pushing forward with sweeping export restrictions on Huawei, as the technology group is seeking to continue doing business with the blacklist Chinese company.
Senior executives in Google are pushing US officials to release it from a ban on exports to Huawei without a license approved by Washington, according to three people informed of the talks.
The Trump administration announced the ban after the US and China trade negotiations collapsed, which led to protests from some of the largest US technology companies fearing they could be injured in the fallout.
Google particularly worried that it would not be allowed to update its Android operating system on Huawei's smartphones, as it claims, would ask the Chinese company to develop its own version of the software.
Google claims that a Huawei modified version of Android would be more susceptible to hacking, according to people briefing on lobbying. Huawei has said it would be able to develop its own operating system "very quickly".
A person with knowledge of the conversations said: "Google has argued that by stopping it from dealing with Huawei, the US risks creating two types of Android operating system: the real version and a hybrid one. That hybrid is likely to have more errors in it than Google one, and so may cause Huawei phones to be more susceptible to hacking, not least by China. "
Washington has been worried for years that Huawei's telecommunications equipment can be used by Beijing for hacking. But since Donald Trump went to the office, these concerns have come to the forefront.
Last month, the Trump administration announced a new set of measures aimed at the Chinese company. They include giving the Trade Department the power to ban Huawei from selling 5G equipment in the United States, as well as a blanket ban on US companies selling their products to the Chinese group.
After the ban was imposed, Google suspended the business with Huawei, cutting it off potential updates for Android. Since then, the administration has provided a 90-day statement for businesses to adjust.
In recent weeks, senior Google executives have approached the trading department, asking for either to demand or be exempted from the Prohibition at all, according to the informed of the talks. By doing so, it has joined groups representing major US microchip makers such as Qualcomm, who are also concerned about the impact of the ban on their business.
A trade department officially said that the Bureau of Industry and Security routinely responded to "business inquiries regarding the scope of regulatory requirements" to "secure private business compliance" with export controls.
"This is not new to this administration, nor do these discussions affect law enforcement actions," the person said. "The highest priority of the department and BIS remains the protection of our country's security."
Google said: "Like other US companies, we partner with the Department of Commerce to ensure we are fully in line with the requirements and temporary license. Our focus is to protect the security of Google users on the millions of existing Huawei phones in the United States and around the world. "
