Report: Congress Looking into Google Partnership with 'Security Risk' Huawei

Congress is currently looking into Google’s partnership with Chinese company Huawei, which has been identified as a security risk by six intelligence agencies, according to a report.

The Wall Street Journal reported that members of Congress “have begun scrutinizing Google’s relationship” with Huawei, following similar scrutiny directed at Facebook’s partnership with Huawei and other Chinese companies, which ended with Facebook terminating their partnerships.

“Some members of Congress also plan to voice displeasure over Google’s continued partnership with Huawei in light of its more recent decision not to renew a Department of Defense contract,” the Wall Street Journal claimed, listing Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX), and Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-NC) as some of the members of Congress looking into the partnership.

“Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been at the forefront of a push by Washington to curb telecommunications equipment and smartphone maker Huawei, and its Chinese peer ZTE Corp. U.S. officials and lawmakers have deemed both companies national security threats,” the Journal explained. “They worry the two could be vulnerable to requests by Beijing to use their equipment to spy on or sabotage Americans — an allegation both companies deny.”

In February, six intelligence agencies, including the FBI, the CIA, and the NSA, warned Americans not to use devices manufactured by Huawei, while in April, Huawei phones being sold to the U.S. military were identified as a security risk.

This year, Verizon also announced their decision to stop selling Huawei devices.