Facebook to cut off Huawei

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook said Friday it would cut off Huawei from its popular social networking apps to comply with US sanctions, further isolating the Chinese tech giant considered a national security threat by Washington. The social media giant said it took the step after President Donald Trump’s order barring Huawei from US technology exports over concerns that it works with Chinese intelligence. “We are reviewing the Commerce Department’s final rule and the more recently issued temporary general license and taking steps to ensure compliance,” a Facebook spokesperson told AFP. The California-based company said people with existing Huawei smartphones with Facebook apps will continue to be able to use and download app updates provided by Facebook. The move by Facebook is the latest to isolate Huawei, which had become the world’s second largest smartphone vendor despite security concerns voiced in Washington. Google last month said it would cut ties to Huawei, making it harder to obtain major apps from the US giant.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2019.

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