US says China is using Huawei to spy on America. What's new?

The US government is investigating Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei over concerns that mobile towers in the country fitted with its gear could capture sensitive information from military bases and missile silos.

The authorities are concerned that Huawei could obtain sensitive data on military drills and the readiness status of bases and personnel, a source told Reuters.

Current and former US government officials said the probe reflects lingering national security concerns about the company.

What does Huawei do? Huawei is an information and communication technology company headquartered in Shenzhen, China. The world’s biggest maker of telecommunications equipment also sells consumer electronics and various smart devices.

Huawei has deployed its products and services in more than 170 countries and was ranked the second-largest R&D investor in the world by the EU Joint Research Centre in 2021.

Previous allegations on Huawei: The US government has warned for years that products from Huawei Technologies pose a national security risk for countries that use them.

• In 2012, Australian intelligence officials informed their US counterparts that they had detected a sophisticated intrusion into the country's telecommunications systems. It began, they said, with a software update from Huawei that was loaded with malicious code, reported Bloomberg.
• Kieth Krach, former under secretary for economic growth, energy and environment at the US Department of State had confirmed in 2021 that the US and its allies have had evidence for years that China has manipulated Huawei equipment through software updates, reported Bloomberg.

• A probe was opened by the US Commerce Department against Huawei shortly after President Joe Biden took office. The agency subpoenaed Huawei in April 2021 to learn the company's policy on sharing data with foreign parties, reported Reuters.

Mobile towers near US missile silos: Mobile towers in the US equipped with Huawei gear that are close to sensitive military and intelligence sites have become a particular concern for US authorities.

• Brendan Carr, a US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner, told Reuters that cell phone towers around Montana's Malmstrom Air Force Base - one of three that oversee missile fields in the United States - ran on Huawei technology.
• He said there was a risk that data from smartphones obtained by Huawei could reveal troop movements near the sites. Individuals interviewed by Reuters have said that there are at least two other likely cases in the US's Nebraska and Wyoming.

Banned in US: The US has banned Huawei over concerns of security and Washington has been pressuring other countries to restrict the operations of the Chinese telecom firm. However, there are many mobile towers in the country that are still equipped with Huawei gear.

Huawei in India: The income tax department had conducted searches at the offices of Huawei in February this year. I-T officials looked through financial documents, account books and company records, reported India Today. This happened a day after India banned 54 Chinese apps in the country over security concerns.

In 2019, an influential US Congressman had alleged that China is "blackmailing" India into using Huawei for its 5G infrastructure, reported PTI. "China is now blackmailing India into using Huawei for its 5G infrastructure they know no bounds!" US Congressman Jim Banks said.