- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

EU Cries Wolf Over Huawei, Chinese Tech Firms' Security Threat to the Bloc

© AP Photo / Mark SchiefelbeinSecurity personnel stand near a pillar with the Huawei logo
Security personnel stand near a pillar with the Huawei logo - Sputnik International
Subscribe
The EU’s fears come in wake of the US banning products made by Chinese tech firms from its military bases due to fears that Beijing could have bugged them and that they could be used to spy on strategic objects. Chinese companies have strongly denied the allegations.

The European commissioner for the digital single market, Andrus Ansip, urged EU states during a press briefing in Brussels on 7 December to exercise caution when dealing with the products of Chinese technology companies, such as Huawei.

"The next question is, do we have to be worried about Huawei or other Chinese companies? Yes I think we have to be worried", he said.

A Chinese customer sets up her new iPhone 7 during the opening sale launch at an Apple store in Shanghai - Sputnik International
Chinese Spy Chips Discovered in Apple, Amazon Data Centers, Report Claims

Ansip explained that there are fears that Beijing could be forcing tech firms to cooperate with Chinese intelligence agencies and to install certain "backdoors" in their products. Such backdoors could later be used by hackers to bypass security and either spy on users, or take down entire systems.

The commissioner's statements come after the US decided to ban Chinese tech companies' products from its military bases and other strategic objects, suggesting that they could compromise security.

READ MORE: Report on Chinese Spy Chips Untrue, Demonstrates Shaky Journalism

In October, Bloomberg published a report claiming that server hardware made in China and later used by Amazon and Apple were rigged with tiny spy-modules. They reportedly established backdoors in systems running on the hardware, making it easy for hackers to infiltrate them. Chinese firms have vehemently denied allegations that they have planted spy-chips in their hardware.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала