Google Revokes Huawei's Android License Following U.S. Blacklist

Google has revoked Huawei's license to use Android and will block the company's future devices from accessing its apps and services. The move comes after Huawei was placed on a U.S. blacklist Friday, preventing American companies from doing business with it, reports Bloomberg.

Chipmakers including Intel Corp., Qualcomm Inc., Xilinx Inc. and Broadcom Inc. have told their employees they will not supply Huawei until further notice, according to people familiar with their actions. Alphabet Inc.’s Google cut off the supply of hardware and some software services to the Chinese mobile phone equipment giant, another person familiar said, asking not to be identified discussing private matters.

The U.S. has warned that Huawei networking equipment contains backdoors enabling surveillance by the Chinese government. The CIA recently determined that the company receives funding from China's National Security Commission, the People's Liberation Army and a third branch of the Chinese state intelligence network. Huawei is also accused of stealing competitors' intellectual property.


Huawei will still have access to the open source version of Android but this doesn't include critical apps like Gmail, YouTube, Chrome, Google Maps, and others. In a tweet today, Google announced that Google Play and Google Play Protect will continue to function on existing devices.

For Huawei users' questions regarding our steps to comply w/ the recent US government actions: We assure you while we are complying with all US gov't requirements, services like Google Play & security from Google Play Protect will keep functioning on your existing Huawei device.

Huawei is said to have stockpiled enough chips and components to keep it running for at least three months; however, the company "is heavily dependent on U.S. semiconductor products and would be seriously crippled without supply of key U.S. components," according to Ryan Koontz, an analyst with Rosenblatt Securities Inc. The U.S. ban "may cause China to delay its 5G network build until the ban is lifted, having an impact on many global component suppliers."

Some Huawei executives say they have become a bargaining chip in U.S.-China trade negotiations and believe if a trade deal is reached between the U.S. and China they will be able to resume buying from American suppliers.


More details in the full report linked below...

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