Following the U.S. disclosure of evidence supporting its claims that Huawei represents a security risk, the Chinese firm is hitting back by highlighting the United States’ own history of spying.
All telecom manufactures are required to create interception backdoors that network operations can use to grant law enforcement access when needed. According to the U.S., however, Huawei covertly maintains access to those backdoors, giving it the ability to spy on networks using its equipment.
In a statement to the media, the company refutes the claim, saying “Huawei has never and will never covertly access telecom networks, nor do we have the capability to do so.” The company touts the fact that it adheres to all industry standards regarding its network equipment, including how intercept interfaces are installed. The company insists it has no involvement with intercept backdoors beyond this.
“Huawei is only an equipment supplier. In this role, accessing customer networks without their authorization and visibility would be impossible. We do not have the ability to bypass carriers, access control, and take data from their networks without being detected by all normal firewalls or security systems.”
Not content to merely defend itself, Huawei takes a shot at the U.S., pointing out its own history of spying on telecom networks both domestically and internationally.
“As evidenced by the Snowden leaks, the United States has been covertly accessing telecom networks worldwide, spying on other countries for quite some time.”
This is merely the latest chapter in the ongoing saga between the U.S. and Huawei, as both battle for the support of governments and network operators around the world.