Two U.S. Congress members — John Moolenar and Raja Krishnamurthi — have called on the administration to work with allies to block the international expansion of Huawei’s HarmonyOS operating system.
According to HuaweiCentral, the lawmakers consider the HarmonyOS platform a significant cybersecurity risk. They believe that updates to the system could be used by Chinese intelligence agencies for surveillance and data collection. Particular concern arises from the fact that the operating system is widely used not only in smartphones but also in tablets, cars, computers, and smart home devices.
In a letter addressed to the U.S. Secretary of State, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Chair of the Federal Communications Commission, they urged a thorough review of HarmonyOS’s architecture and source code, as well as warning allied countries about the potential risks. It is noted that Chinese law requires Huawei to cooperate with intelligence services, which further heightens security concerns.
The U.S. has already imposed restrictions on Huawei’s 5G equipment and the supply of American technologies. Nevertheless, the company continues to develop HarmonyOS and plans to launch new devices based on the system, including PCs and automotive integrations.
