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The Pentagon Bans Huawei, ZTE Phones From Retail Stores On Military Bases (theverge.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the safety-precautions dept.

The Pentagon is ordering retail outlets on U.S. military bases to stop selling Huawei and ZTE smartphones, citing security risks. "Huawei and ZTE devices may pose an unacceptable risk to the department's personnel, information and mission," a Pentagon spokesperson said in a statement to The Wall Street Journal. "In light of this information, it was not prudent for the department's exchanges to continue selling them." The Verge reports: U.S. military members can still buy Huawei and ZTE devices for personal use from other stores, as there's no outright ban on that for now. But the spokesperson elaborated that the Pentagon is considering whether it should send out a military-wide advisory about the devices. U.S. government officials have said that China could order its manufacturers to create backdoors for spying in their devices, although both Huawei and ZTE have denied the possibility. An anonymous source told the WSJ that military leaders are wary that Beijing could use ZTE and Huawei devices to locate soldiers' exact coordinates and track their movements. Huawei responded to the news in a statement to The Verge: "Huawei's products are sold in 170 countries worldwide and meet the highest standards of security, privacy and engineering in every country we operate globally including the U.S. We remain committed to openness and transparency in everything we do and want to be clear that no government has ever asked us compromise the security or integrity of any of our networks or devices."

7 of 86 comments (clear)

  1. Backdoors by sit1963nz · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The USA wants to ensure that the only backdoors are theirs.
    It is important for the paranoid letter spaghetti agencies to be able to track, trace and intercept everyone in the USA because you are all potential enemies of the state.

    The flip side of this is that US technology should not be trusted any more than Chinese technology.

    1. Re:Backdoors by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The flip side of this is that US technology should not be trusted any more than Chinese technology.

      Just imagine the outcry though if China had banned the sale of the iPhone giving the same reasons! These sort of national security type arguments are likely to end up backfiring on the US when other governments start to apply the same logic.

    2. Re:Backdoors by sit1963nz · · Score: 1, Insightful

      ROTFLMAO, you change China/Chinese to USA in your statement and it also reads True.

      Have a read about how radioactive depleted Uranium shells the USA has been using in other countries is.
      As why Trump is rolling back emission standards for cars and giving assistance to coal.
      Check to see how much drinking water is contaminated because of fracking, lead, and other industrial contaminants.

  2. No possibility of government coersion? by larryjoe · · Score: 4, Insightful

    U.S. government officials have said that China could order its manufacturers to create backdoors for spying in their devices, although both Huawei and ZTE have denied the possibility.

    It may be true that these Chinese companies do not currently implement government-mandated backdoors in their products, and it may be true that they truly would resist such government mandates. However, the assertion that such coercion is not possible is not believable. It's not believable for US companies, and it's not believable for Chinese companies.

    1. Re:No possibility of government coersion? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The employees and executives of Apple, for instance, are under US jurisdiction. They answer to US authority despite the fact that make their products in China. The employees and executives of Samsung are under South Korean jurisdiction, a nation that is closely allied with the US and over which the US has great power. They will answer to the US despite the fact that they make their products in China.

      Despite the misguided grant of MFN trading status, China is not an ally of the US and Huawei and ZTE employees and executives do not answer to US authority. Further, the DOD is not obligated to play fair in matters of national security, which may account for why, for instance, Lenovo products are not also banned. The DOD is permitted to make judgement calls based on information to which you are not — and will not be made — privy. The world is not a great big romper room where fairness always prevails and you are not owed an explanation for every decision. These realities will become increasingly clear to you as you mature.

  3. Of course they know... by Excelcia · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Of course the US knows that China could order their domestic corporations to put back doors in their products. They know from long experience just how easy it is to slip a back door into products and standards.

    Thing is, if I were a US citizen, I'd far rather have a Huwei product. Actually, as a Canadian I think I still would rather own a Huwei. At least I can probably trust the NSA doesn't have its greasy mitts inside one of those (or, at least, there's a better chance of it). There are daily stories of strange and unusual things happening to people at the border because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some database has their phone as having been in close proximity to some person of interest to US intelligence and suddenly they are locked in a room with no phones, often no clothes, and definitely no recourse, until they cough up answers that US officials like.

  4. Ok gubmint by TimMD909 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Time for the government to put up or shut up with its exact and explicit concerns. If they're sitting on intel that Chinese phone companies aren't acting proper, then shame on my government.