The Huawei band has been banned from Google. This is a problem for the company because their Android phones are no longer able to access Google’s services, which include Gmail and Chrome.
This ban will also affect other companies that use Huawei products like AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint. The United States government has warned against using Huawei products in the past citing national security concerns.
The Chinese government said that it would retaliate with an unspecified “grave measure.” What do you think this means? What does this mean for all of us–for our information, our privacy? For technology as we know it? Stay tuned! We’ll keep you updated on what happens next!
What is Huawei and why are they banned from Google?
Huawei is a Chinese technology company that manufactures smartphones, personal computers, tablets, fiber-optic networking devices, and mobile phone infrastructure. The United States government has warned against using Huawei products in the past citing national security concerns. On August 19th, 2019 the U.S. Department of Commerce announced an export ban on U.S. companies from selling products to Huawei.
Huawei was not given a reason as to why they were banned, but a statement by a US official said that it is because of allegations that the company works closely with the Chinese government and poses a security risk to the United States. It will also prevent AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint from selling Huawei phones.
Reasons for the ban
There are many reasons for banning Huawei. Here are the common reasons.
First reason:
There are many allegations that Huawei, a Chinese technology company, posed a security risk to the United States.
Second reason:
The US claims that China can spy on Huawei users through their devices and thus compromise national security. It has been a common practice for the United States government to ban products from other countries if those products could pose a security risk to the citizens.
Third reason:
The United States government is also concerned with the close relationship between Huawei and China’s communist government. An example would be that during the Great Firewall, which resulted in millions of Chinese citizens who were against the government getting censored.
Fourth reason:
The United States is not the only country that has raised security concerns about Huawei. Other countries like Australia, India, and Japan have also banned Huawei products because of similar allegations.
How will this affect us as consumers?
Many people use Google services on a daily basis. Google provides email, video and music streaming, web browser, and file storage. These services are used by many companies and by consumers across the world to spread information and connect with others.
The ban will prevent Huawei users from accessing Gmail and Chrome services on their devices. This also includes companies that use Huawei as well as Chinese citizens.
This ban will cause companies like AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint to stop selling Huawei devices which consist of many popular phone brands such as the Mate 10 Pro and the P20 Pro. This is a huge loss for those consumers who wanted to purchase these phones.
