Facebook Stops Huawei From Pre-installing Apps

Why Facebook Stops Huawei From Pre-installing Apps

Facebook Stops Huawei From Pre-installing Apps on smartphones. Facebook said it has stopped letting its apps come pre-installed on smartphones sold by Huawei in order to comply with U.S. restrictions, a move that deals a fresh blow to the Chinese tech giant.

The social network said it has suspended providing software for Huawei to put on its devices while it reviews recently introduced U.S. sanctions.

Owners of existing Huawei smartphones that already have Facebook apps can continue to use them and download updates.

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But it’s not clear if buyers of new Huawei devices will be able to install Facebook’s apps on their own. Facebook’s move is the latest fallout in the escalating U.S.-China tech feud.

The Commerce Department last month effectively barred U.S. companies from selling their technology to Huawei and other Chinese firms without government approval.

China’s Huawei bought $70 billion worth of components and parts last year from 13,000 US suppliers. Of that, about $11 billion was spent on products from dozens of US businesses, including computer chips from Qualcomm and Broadcom, as well as Microsoft.

That revenue is now threatened by the Trump administration’s decision to place Huawei on a list of foreign Telecom company barred from receiving components from US exporters without a license.

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The blacklisting of Huawei puts at risk “both the company itself and the networks of Huawei customers around the world, as the company would be unable to upgrade software and conduct routine maintenance and hardware replacement,” analysts from Eurasia Group said.

China’s Commerce Ministry responded this week by warning it would release its own list of “unreliable” foreign companies in the near future.

U.S. officials are pressing their global campaign to blacklist Huawei, the world’s No. 1 network equipment provider and second-largest smartphone maker.

They say Beijing could use the company’s products for cyberespionage but without presenting evidence of intentional spying.

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“We are reviewing the Commerce Department’s final rule and the more recently issued temporary general license and taking steps to ensure compliance,” Facebook said, referring to a 90-day grace period allowing continued support of existing Huawei equipment.