Older Huawei devices will no longer be eligible for future Google and Android updates. According to the Washington post, this comes after an extension period allowing the Chinese company to trade with the US expired.
“The US granted Huawei a Temporary General License (TGL), to enable existing hardware and software to receive maintenance and security updates, to provide some time for these users to “wean themselves off” Huawei and to select alternatives.”
A Huawei spokesperson said that the company is “monitoring the situation and assessing the potential impact.”
US President Donald Trump extended Huawei’s national trade ban by another year mid 2020. The ban saw countries like the UK follow suit effectively banning Huawei from taking part in building the country’s 5G networks. A senior Huawei executive believes the ban is “really designed to safeguard American dominance of global tech.”
Read: UK Reviewing Huawei Impact on its 5G Networks
The Head of Consumer Electronics at Huawei,Richard Yu, said “The so called cyber security reasons are merely an excuse. The key is the threat to the technology hegemony of the US.” Huawei Head of Consumer Electronics,Richard Yu, said.
The US imposed sanctions on Chinese tech companies citing National security fears. The order prohibits American companies from buying, selling or using hardware from Chinese technology companies in efforts to avoid cyber exploitation from China.
The US signed the executive order in 2019 after it already deemed that Huawei was a threat to its National security. The order also means that Huawei cannot access American Technology unless they have applied for a license.
Bloomberg reported that the move “tightens those restrictions to prevent chipmakers — American or foreign — from working with Huawei and its in-house chip-design unit HiSilicon on the cutting-edge semiconductors they need to make smartphones and communications equipment”.
“This could be one way the US is limiting China’s dominance over 5G networks” – further writing that “China and Huawei have threatened retaliation should the US enact further measures to constrain the country’s largest tech company”.
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