Google sides with Huawei and sounds the alarm: US ban could jeopardize the security of millions of users
Huawei may have an unexpected - and unsuspected - ally in its attempt to convince the US administration to remove it from the commercial blacklist on which it has been placed. According to the Financial Times, Google is reportedly interceding with senior White House officials to get President Trump to desist and allow Huawei to continue using Android and Play services.
As you might imagine, Big G is not moved by a charitable spirit. Huawei is the second largest smartphone manufacturer in the world and, before the Android ban, it was definitely aiming for the first position. Google risks to lose a market of hundreds of millions of users, with all the economic consequences that come with it. Moreover, Huawei would be developing a new operating system, to be launched both in Asia and in the rest of the world already this summer. And it is exactly on this point that Google's lobbyists are focusing: according to the Financial Times, Google would have warned the American Administration that Huawei's new operating system could undermine the security of many American users.
New Huawei OS vulnerable to hackers
According to the Mountain View company, Huawei's decision could undermine the security of many users, who would work with a hybrid operating system, probably developed in a hurry. In short, the ideal terrain for hacker attacks to proliferate, perhaps of Chinese origin.
Google would then play the "national security" card, the same used by Trump to prevent U.S. companies - not only Google, but also Qualcomm and Facebook, to name two - from collaborating commercially with the Chinese manufacturer. With this move, he wants to make it clear that, if the ban continues, two types of operating systems will spread in the United States, both based on Android, one original and one hybrid. The second one will undoubtedly be more vulnerable and at greater risk of cyber threats.
For the time being, many European operators will not allow customers to pre-order the new Huawei Matex X 5G until the situation clears up. This includes Vodafone in Italy. Google is currently working with the U.S. Department of Commerce to outline next steps, and determine which devices to license. The goal is to protect the security of the millions of Google users around the world who use smartphones made in China.