The Financial Times publishes a report speculating a probable EU ban on companies, including Huawei, to safeguard its 5G telecommunication networks from possible threats.
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Visitors wearing face masks walk past a display from Chinese technology company Huawei at the PT Expo in Beijing, China, June 4, 2023 (AP)
The European Union is mulling implementing a ban on the use of technology originating from companies that could cause a “security threat” to its 5G network, as the speculated list includes Chinese telecom conglomerate Huawei, a report by the Financial Times revealed on Wednesday.
EU officials allege that foreign companies operating in the EU would be used to collect information from users and meddle in with Union’s 5G communications network by their national governments.
A collective decision to ban Huawei has not yet come to fruition as around two-thirds of the EU member states have not yet prohibited the company.
The EU believes that a combined decision to bar Huawei is the only way to safeguard its communication networks, according to the report.
“This is too few. And it exposes the union’s collective security,” EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said to the Financial Times.
According to the report, the European Commission’s call for enhanced security measures in 5G networks has been largely disregarded by European countries. The Commission’s recommendations, which included sourcing equipment from EU-approved vendors, may soon be transformed into a mandatory ban due to the lack of compliance.
The EU is set to provide an update on the progress of implementing these recommendations, but it is unlikely that new regulations enforcing a ban will be adopted before the current European Commission’s term concludes in 2024.
The involvement of Chinese companies in the deployment of 5G networks in Europe has been a contentious issue for several years. Concerns about potential espionage have led countries such as the United States, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand to ban the use of Huawei’s 5G equipment.
