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Huawei Responds To Android Ban With Service and Security Guarantees, But Its Future Remains Unclear (techcrunch.com) 167

Posted by msmash from the tussle-continues dept.
Huawei has finally gone on the record about a ban on its use of Android, but the company's long-term strategy on mobile still remains unclear. From a report: In an effort to appease its worried customer base, the embattled Chinese company said today that it will continue to provide security updates and after-sales support to its existing lineup of smartphones, but it's what the company didn't say that will spark concerns. Huawei was unable to make guarantees about whether existing customers will continue to receive Android software updates, while its statement is bereft of any mention of whether future phones will ship with the current flavor of Android or something else.

[...] Huawei's lukewarm response isn't unexpected. Earlier, Google issued a similarly non-committal statement that indicated that owners of Huawei phones will continue to be able to access the Google Play Store and Google Play Protect, but -- like the Chinese firm -- it made no mention of the future, and that really is the key question. Further reading: Qualcomm and Intel reportedly stop dealing with Huawei.
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Huawei Responds To Android Ban With Service and Security Guarantees, But Its Future Remains Unclear More

Huawei Responds To Android Ban With Service and Security Guarantees, But Its Future Remains Unclear

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  • Should we try to ban all CIA/FBI/NSA/etc-infested US companies?
    Please show some proof before enacting economic warfare.

    • Re: should we... (Score:1, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Google wants it's store and its UI to be prevalent so people don't know there are choices. China doesn't care about Google at all. If Google were smart, Google would follow huaweis lead not be petulant in a corner. How to become irrelevant quickly: remove your product from a Chinese mass producers product. Good job dumbasses

      • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

        by Errol backfiring ( 1280012 )

        Google wants it's store and its UI to be prevalent so people don't know there are choices.

        This is the best way to educate the masses. China can just create their own state-approved app store, and they probably already had one provided by Google. They allowed Google, but they don't need Google for anything. They should still have the data, so a new app store can be up and running by tomorrow. If they also get rid of advertising, they can make it way more attractive too.

        • Not just state-approved app store, non-US everything, since US chipmakers have now also jumped on the bandwagon. What this is telling other countries, China, Russia, India, etc, is "don't deal with US suppliers, they can cut you off on a whim". Which in turn means developing indigenous technology to supplant the US stuff, which will invariably be cheaper, easier to get, and not subject to the whims of USG control. So short-term it's pain for China and others, long-term it's serious pain for US technology

      • Re: should we... (Score:2, Interesting)

        by Anonymous Coward

        Obviously you are an idiot and don't know what's going on in the world. El Presidente Trump has issued an order and put Huawei on a banned list. US companies may not do business with them. Google is a US company Mr. Derp.

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by RAHH ( 5900166 )
          because Huawei phones all have capable spying built in from foreign entity China. Ban all things "Made in China" and let us become more self reliant like we already know we can.

          • Re: should we... (Score:1, Flamebait)

            by Puls4r ( 724907 )
            Yet more proof that the average IQ in the US is 98.

          • Re: (Score:1)

            by Cederic ( 9623 )

            Most of the world don't however live in America.

            My choices:
            1 - buy cheap Chinese phone, possibly get spied on by China
            2 - buy expensive Korean phone, probably get spied on by America
            3 - buy expensive American phone, definitely get spied on by America

            When America can't compete on technology it sure as fuck isn't going to win on price or privacy.

            • Most of the world don't however live in America.

              My choices:
              1 - buy cheap Chinese phone, possibly get spied on by China
              2 - buy expensive Korean phone, probably get spied on by America
              3 - buy expensive American phone, definitely get spied on by America

              When America can't compete on technology it sure as fuck isn't going to win on price or privacy.

              Perhaps the idiotic Subject: prevented you from getting the favorable mod points you deserved? But you left off:

              4 - buy a Nokia phone from Finland, who doesn't want to spy on anyone!

              Whoops! I forgot. Another case of the nice guy finishing last. And no one is going to accuse Microsoft of being a nice guy (no matter how repentant Bill Gates has become).

              However I'm not sure if getting spied on by Amazon isn't the worse case of all. The corporate cancers really are running amok, and their so-called principles a

        • The AC's comment moderated into visibility was the only detectable comment that mentioned this important aspect of the situation.

          It is not fully clear to me if the Google had to take this action to follow the American law, but it is absolutely clear that NO "foreign" company can count on the google now. Whenever some crazy diktat comes down from Trump, they may suddenly find their business threatened.

          Now that makes me wonder: Why did the google target Huawei rather than ALL Chinese smartphone makers?

          Per my

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Anonymous Coward

        China already bans the top 3 Google services within China. So it's alright for China to display it's blatantly clone Googles top 3 app services and then prevent any external competition but when the US government returns the favor it's actions are wrong? China breaks every rule in the book when it comes to international trade and when the US finally calls them on it the US is doing something wrong? China has built it's entire economy on currency manipulation, IP violations, copyright violations, and state s

    • Re:should we... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by fortythirteen ( 5606969 ) on Monday May 20, 2019 @10:18AM (#58622942)
      There is no such thing as a global technology company that isn't manipulated by government intelligence services, regardless of the country. That being said, China is objectively worse than the US when it comes to every metric of individual freedom, rendering your comparison moot.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by mspohr ( 589790 )

        Snowden demonstrated that CIA, NSA, etc. are constantly spying on us with the cooperation of telecoms.
        On this same /. page up a few stories is one about how Facebook sells all of your data (location, data use, social circles, etc.) to the highest bidder (that would be telecoms and our government.)
        Is there any evidence Huawei has done any spying for government or corporations? Any evidence... at all? (I'm sure that if there was any, it would be Trumpeted from the White House)

        • I'll split those hairs when the US sets up "reeducation" camps for ethnic minorities, powered by ubiquitous digital surveillance.

          • Re: (Score:3)

            by mspohr ( 589790 )

            Reeducation camps...
            You mean like the "camps" for minorities seeking asylum?
            You mean like our prison system which locks up black and brown people?

        • Snowden demonstrated that CIA, NSA, etc. are constantly spying on us with the cooperation of telecoms.

          Exactly... and without the cooperation of telecoms as well.

          Most nations 'spy' on their own people and even share the information with their friends in NATO etc. When I say 'spy' I mean gather a lot of uncorrelated information that can be searched for specific identifiers at a later time. If you at some point become a person of interest then they can go back and look you up in the giant pile of uncorrelated data and see what you've been up to.

          Now, given that your own intelligence service most certainly is sp

      • I'm not going to side with China too strongly here, but remember that America is the incarceration leader of the world, and cops can pull you over and take all the money in your car or take stuff out of your house under civil asset forfeiture powers and never give it back. I think your claim mostly passes muster here, but let's not be too self-righteous.

      • That being said, China is objectively worse than the US when it comes to every metric of individual freedom, rendering your comparison moot.

        That's why the US has more prisoners than china, despite having a third of China's population. Check your western exceptionalism...

      • Yes, of course Emperor Xi spies on everyone who uses a Chinese made phone. However I do not live in China, nor do I have any plans to visit. So I am not terribly concerned.

        Yes, of course Uncle Sam spies on everyone who uses a phone running American software. Since I do live in America, this is a greater concern.

      • This kind of fatalism gives no credit to companies like Qwest, who did stand up to the NSA and were punished for it. Ultimately, you get the government that you expect: if you assume that all politicians are corrupt, then there's no reason for politicians to not be corrupt. Likewise for companies.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      China is bound to retaliate. Ban Apple products in China maybe?

      • China is bound to retaliate. Ban Apple products in China maybe?

        Why Apple products? That's like bombing S-Korea to stop N-Korea from developing a nuclear program. Presumably the Chinese would want to get back at Google. So the logical thing to do would be to ban all imported phones that run Google's version of Android, but don't let me stop you from having wet dreams of Apple being made to suffer in China for Google's actions.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

          Google is already banned from China. You can't use Android there, all the Google services it relies on are blocked. Chinese phones running "Android" are running a custom OS based on AOSP and their own search, app store, location services etc.

          Apple is the most well known US brand in China and iPhones are quite popular. It would be similar to banning Huawei, the flagship Chinese brand.

          • Google is already banned from China. You can't use Android there, all the Google services it relies on are blocked. Chinese phones running "Android" are running a custom OS based on AOSP and their own search, app store, location services etc.

            Apple is the most well known US brand in China and iPhones are quite popular. It would be similar to banning Huawei, the flagship Chinese brand.

            A simple Google search (irony abounds) revealed that in China you can either (a) use a VPN to access Google services (b) side-load replacement apps provided by local Chinese competitors of Google on a bog standard Android phone. Losing Google's services is not the end fo the world (I don't use any of them and I'm still alive). Android currently has a 73.24% market share in China. Banning Android as an OS would have a very definite effect since a whole bunch of phone manufacturers would have to ditch Android

            • Re: (Score:1)

              by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

              Just to clarify, Android without Google apps is technically not Android. To use the name it has to be certified by Google and have some Google services installed. What they use is based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) and they are not allowed to market it as Android.

              But as you say, it is at its core Android.

              Can confirm VPNs work, although you need one that can bypass the firewall.

        • Already 3/4 o'clock on the Slashdot, and this seems to be the closest approach to insight? Really? (The lack of insightful mod points and the original meaningless Subject: are just par for the course of Slashdot these years...)

          Yeah, I know I'm slow witted these years, and I know the clock runs too fast for deep discussions here... But it still bothers me when I think I remember more thoughtful times of yore.

          Seems obvious to me that China is going to get seriously pissed now and they are going to do somethin

        • Trump just made it illegal for Google to do business with Huawei. It's part of his trade war with China.

          "China may force Huawei to do it's bidding", says Trump. While forcing Google to do his bidding...

    • Should we try to ban all CIA/FBI/NSA/etc-infested US companies?

      If your nation is not an ally of the US then I would argue that doing so would be very prudent.

      • What makes you being an ally of the USA any safer? The USA certainly hasn't shown to not spy on their allies (Germany). They certainly haven't shown that they wouldn't start economic wars with their allies (the EU). And recently they have even shown not to be friendly in warfare to allies (intelligence sharing with the UK).

        You don't need to be an ally to the USA to be safer. You need to be an outright lapdog. Don't worry USA we in Australia don't fear you, oh and what do you want us to do next?

      • Definitely! Huawei should move to Saudi Arabia if they want to do business in the US

    • Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)

      by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Monday May 20, 2019 @11:06AM (#58623250)
      Comment removed based on user account deletion

      • in a short, windowless, skyscraper

        You mean a 'building'?

      • I'm with you on like 90% of your points, but I'd like to point out that if the government collects potentially embarrassing information on everyone, those of us that grow up to become leaders of some sort, will be readily compromised.

    • No. Neither should we do nothing. Whether it is Chinese cell phone companies or US software companies (Huawei/Microsoft), they both provide opaque systems which are difficult too impossible to audit as currently provided. Even worse, they both are in the position to fundamentally change how their products work via essentially "forced" security updates. With a little prior planning, they could even leave in an obscure security bug and then secretly release it to the "hacker" community in order to encour

    • Re:should we... (Score:4, Insightful)

      by jellomizer ( 103300 ) on Monday May 20, 2019 @11:09AM (#58623276)

      You know despite all the news coverage, I have never seen a Huawei phone. Perhaps are European friends have more exposure to them. But in the States (At least my area of the states), we have Apple, Samsung, LG, and even a few ZTE.

      Back to your point. Most of the other products, are made in countries with free enterprise, who are less likely to risk their reputation for the country they operate in. Companies like Huawei work with the permission from the Chinese government, and under very tight levels of control, to a point where if they have to sacrifice their reputation, from the country saying do this, they will.

      • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

        by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        Huawei phones are quite popular in Europe. They are pushing to overtake Samsung in some markets.

  • This was bound to happen.

  • Hwawei was built on stolen goods. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by TigerPlish ( 174064 ) on Monday May 20, 2019 @10:40AM (#58623068)

    Hwawei was built on tech stolen from Cisco and Nortel, plenty of documentation of this. And the thievery was done by hacking, especially Nortel. They've done it before, and I'm convinced they'll do it again. Why create when you can steal, right?

    My god, people *defend* them! People in (what used to be) a pretty nerdy tech forum defend them! What, did you all forget about the thievery?

    Build your house with stolen bricks, don't be shocked when they get knocked down. To hell with Hwawei.

    • Re:Hwawei was built on stolen goods. (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 20, 2019 @10:57AM (#58623180)

      It was a combination of hacking and physical theft when businesses were stupid enough to start manufacturing their products in China. These same businesses are now competing with the people that they trained that then stole their inventions and market share. This was warned about at the time but big businesses all thought they could have the slave labor and create markets there. In reality, the move to China for manufacturing meant first the end to union labor's viability and then to those same company's viability. Only countries that saw the threat and did not allow it to happen were not devastated. And of course the same people that caused the problem are now in power again claiming that the solution is to further erode worker's rights and consumer protections. The race to the bottom is not remotely safe nor sustainable.

    • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      Have you looked at the stuff they are supposed to have "stolen"? It's a bunch of header files. They look like they came with the compiler suite. The claims are pretty dubious, even Cisco's own expert admitted as much.

      The settlement was for Huawei to remove a few lines of code, with the court stipulating that Cisco could not bring any similar complaints about Huawei in future.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Build your house with stolen bricks, don't be shocked when they get knocked down. To hell with Hwawei.

      I'll just leave this [reuters.com] here.

    • IBM provided computers to Nazis. Where's the outrage!

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Stealing tech from companies around the world has been a prudent trademark of US companies. They call it business. It is a reason the US educates more lawyers than engineers. US companies think's it is their sole right to abuse the patent system. They have done it to the extent that it is destroyed as a system. So I guess what goes around comes around.

    • Hmmm . . . not "people" so much as paid minions! Follow the money, as they say . . .

  • Huawei needs to unlock their bootloaders... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by ctilsie242 ( 4841247 ) on Monday May 20, 2019 @10:49AM (#58623126)

    How can we have faith in Huawei when they went full bore with bootloader locks and not allowing unlocks and actively hunting down exploits? If they want to gain trust with people, they need to allow LineageOS and other open ROMs to run on their devices.

    If they did offer an open bootloader along the line of Nexus/Pixel phones, an open source kernel with the SoC modules in source, or at least easily fetchable as binary blobs, Huawei might be able to something completely ironic, and get a market of people who are worried about privacy. Especially if LineageOS could come on the devices from the factory. If Huawei can earn people's trust, ban or no ban, people would buy their devices explicitly.

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • How can we have faith in Huawei when they went full bore with bootloader locks and not allowing unlocks and actively hunting down exploits?

      Because they have shown to take an industry standard approach that is taken by every other handset vendor. Frankly if they didn't do the above I'd wonder what is wrong with them and why they aren't following the footsteps of every other vendor.

    • If Huawei can earn people's trust, ban or no ban, people would buy their devices explicitly.

      Granted. But that suggest the question... can they? There's always that part of the phone for which you cannot have the source, the radio. If you believe that they're part of a spying effort, then you can never, ever trust them. It really depends on whether the people who care about security care so much that they won't trust anything that says Huawei on it.

      Obvs it's pretty much irrelevant since all of this stuff is being made in China. But I don't know that Huawei's name isn't bad enough now that they can'

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Cederic ( 9623 )

      actively hunting down exploits?

      Erm. I want my hardware providers to do this.

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • This will be interesting... (Score:3)

    by sd4f ( 1891894 ) on Monday May 20, 2019 @11:19AM (#58623362)

    Huawei is quite popular in Europe. I think this may be quite a concern for Google, since a lot of companies will probably try to sideload onto another app store for huawei users, if they can't get the play store, amongst other things. Certainly european companies will look into alternatives for their apps, after all, the code is already there. Now this is exactly what google doesn't want in Europe; a reason for users to see that non-google android can work, particularly after the anti-trust findings recently.The play store is the only feature of the google experience that really prevents any fork from being successful.

    If an alternative app store gains traction, then google's domination of smartphones will prove to be significantly harder to maintain. I suspect that google knows this, and are going to try hard to skirt around the compliance of this ban.

    • Huawei is quite popular in Europe.
      It is also quite popular in Asia ... which has significant higher population, depending where you draw the line between Asia and Europe, anyway :P

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Cederic ( 9623 )

        Doesn't really matter where you draw the line, you're going to include at least one of India and China and either alone would be enough, let alone the rest of the continent.

        Europe's still however the better place to live.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by jrumney ( 197329 )
          Interestingly, Huawei is number one in China (not surprising), but doesn't even make the top 5 in India, despite being number three (possibly even two by now) in Europe. India is dominated by other Chinese brands.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by Cederic ( 9623 )

            Hmm. Xiaomi, Asus, Samsung and who are the other two? Apple I guess.

            Aren't Honor a Huawei brand? I think they're a top 5.

    • Due to profits-related reason, as an End-user, Google can allow you to register and obtain a license to install "Google Play Services" and Google's "Play Store" on a smartphone that doesn't have it.

      opengapps.com is an easy way to download the actual blobs.

      Google tries to make it easy for google-free users to jump back into the shark's mouth.
      That's probably what most Europeans will side-load on Huawei phones.

      ---

      Now as a separate option, there exists a completely Google-free solution :
      - MicroG [microg.org] is an opensourc

  • I'm secretly hoping this will drive Huawei to bank on GNU-Linux and opensource as a strategy to alleviate fears of espionage (what better defence than open source), and create a kickass operating system giving Google and Apple a real run for their money. A man can dream, right?
    • But Huawei does build in spying capabilities for Beijing, no matter what they use. Although there is nothing in any FOSS license that bans spying: all it requires is that the source code be made available. That is an aspect that has rarely been enforced, and is even less likely to be enforceable in Beijing. Huawei could just use something like Sailfish OS or KDE Plasma Mobile and have itself a good system
  • Huawei responded with the demand for the San Diego Zoo to return their panda --- what a cheap bunch of Chicoms!!!!! Dastardly . . . .

  • If Huawei wasn't obligated to spy for Beijing, one thing they could have done would have been making a phone w/ Replicant. Since that's not an option, maybe they could try out open source projects, like Jolla's Sailfish OS, or the KDE's Plasma Mobile. The Chinese do have their own spins of Linux, right? So they should be able to make a mobile version of it fit for Huawei. This assumes that they can make stuff on their own w/o having to lean on Western companies to steal their IP

  • their best bet now is to make sure it is very, very easy to get LineageOS running on their phones.

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