- Google: Android to Block Huawei Users
Google, one of the world’s largest technology companies, announced on Monday it would cut ties with China’s Huawei amid accusation of security threat to the U.S.
President Trump, who is pushing for a better trade deal with China ahead of his second term campaign, was infuriated by China’s refusal to agree to certain terms, saying they are intentionally slowing down trade talks.
The president imposed additional tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods and recently barred U.S. companies from dealing with Chinese corporations. U.S companies, according to the White House, can only engage in trade with Chinese firms after obtaining approval from the authorities.
However, because the ban includes technology, Google, the manufacturer of Android, has announced it would cut ties with Huawei and block its users from accessing its technology.
“We are complying with the order and reviewing the implications,” a Google spokesperson stated.
“For users of our services, Google Play and the security protections from Google Play Protect will continue to function on existing Huawei devices.”
The move will affect Huawei smartphone users as they will no longer have access to Google’s proprietary services like Gmail, Google Maps apps, etc, the source stated.
Ren Zhengfei, the founder and CEO, Huawei, on Saturday said “We have not done anything which violates the law,” adding the new U.S. measures would have a limited impact.