According to Engadget (via WSJ), Huawei was busy with a law enforcement safer-cities project in Lahore, Pakistan. However, Huawei wanted a backdoor to access databases and sensitive citizen and government data. BES says that Huawei wanted to duplicate the Pakistan network to access data from Suzhou, China. Doing this requires special permissions from Pakistan authorities, and BES insisted on taking the permissions. However, Huawei initially said it did not need permissionsو and later said it had obtained the necessary permissions from Pakistan. Moreover, Huawei has threatened BES to cancel the deal if its demands are not met. The Chinese OEM now says “no evidence” that it has installed backdoor in projects. Also, it has been admitted that there is a duplicate version of Pakistan’s network in China. But that’s “physically isolated” and can’t be used for extracting data. Pakistani officials said they would investigate the case, and there is no evidence of data thief or backdoors so far.
Huawei has a lousy history of installing backdoors
This is not the first time that Huawei is accused of installing backdoor in its projects. The company has been repeatedly accused of having extensive ties to the Chinese Communist government. Huawei has been accused of providing surveillance equipment to the government and has helped the Chinese government violate Uyghur rights. Although Huawei has consistently denied the allegations, governments are reluctant to work with the company again. The United States and the United Kingdom have also cited Huawei as a threat to national security. Previously, the UK suspended its 5G plans with Huawei due to national security concerns. Dates back to 2020, the United States also accused Huawei of installing backdoor in carriers networks. But Russia seems to be very confident about cooperating with Huawei for developing its 5G network. Security and surveillance ties with the Chinese government have so far cost Huawei dearly. Trump has imposed sanctions on the company, and Biden does not appear willing to lift them. If Huawei wants to continue in the international market, it should be more transparent about its ties with the governments and its insidious deeds.
