Tag Archives: Government eavesdropping

‘High Risk Vendors’ and Government eavesdropping

Last Tuesday, Parliament debated the Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property), Bill. Well, actually, it didn’t. Several Tory backbenchers and a Labour shadow Minister hijacked the debate with amendments seeking to exclude ‘High-Risk Vendors’ (by which they mean Huawei) from UK telecoms networks. They did not provide any evidence to support their concerns, and the speeches sometimes bordered on a witch hunt.

Robert Harrison and Paul Reynolds have both written balanced and insightful articles on Huawei for Lib Dem Voice. The Government currently proposes to limit ‘High-Risk Vendors’ to the access network, and 35% market share. In a comment on Paul’s article, I explained how the 5G standards are designed to prevent any eavesdropping within the access network.

There is a well-documented case where an equipment supplier has been compromised by a foreign Government so that it could intercept the secret communications of other nations. But this is neither Huawei nor China: the company is Crypto AG, and the foreign Government is the USA.

Posted in Op-eds | 4 Comments
Advert

Recent Comments

  • Chloe
    'The truth is that our freedoms are being subtly eroded in an era where emotion and sentiment are prized above reason and rationality'... KB...
  • David Allen
    "Starmer failed to communicate the home truths that the country needs to be told. Over promising led to under delivery." This doesn't quite cut it. One, bec...
  • Nonconformistradical
    "which is more than I can say for Ms Badenoch who was shrill and cheap in her remarks" I can't recall ever being impressed with anything she has said......
  • Chloe
    After Burnhams arrival at Westminster hall on a Donkey - given the adulation he received, maybe he's tired from such a long journey. As for Phillipson, she des...
  • David Raw
    Watched P.M.Q.'s today. Thought Sir Keir Starmer handled it well with great dignity - which is more than I can say for Ms Badenoch who was shrill and cheap in h...