Spain awarded Huawei a €12.3 million contract to manage legally authorized wiretaps, raising concerns over digital sovereignty and national security. Huawei's ties to the Chinese government complicate its role in sensitive intelligence systems. Despite Huawei's technical compliance with European standards, there are significant risks due to the 2017 National Intelligence Law in China. The situation underscores a lack of institutional safeguards in Europe for assessing foreign vendors, leading to fragmented national security approaches among EU member states regarding intelligence sharing and the use of foreign technology in sensitive operations.
Spain's recent decision to award Huawei a contract worth €12.3 million to manage and store legally authorized wiretaps raises significant concerns about the country's commitment to digital sovereignty.
Huawei is subject to China's 2017 National Intelligence Law and cannot credibly claim complete independence from the Chinese Communist Party's security and intelligence apparatus.
The episode highlights the lack of clear institutional safeguards in Europe and among transatlantic allies for assessing foreign vendors in critical intelligence systems.
Some countries exclude Huawei on national security grounds, while others invite it to manage their surveillance backbones, resulting in fragmentation that is not sustainable.
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