London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 24, 2025

Huawei sues US government over new FCC restrictions

Huawei sues US government over new FCC restrictions

Embattled Chinese tech company Huawei has filed a lawsuit over new restrictions from the US Federal Communications Commission that further limits what little business it has left in the United States.
Huawei, the world's largest telecommunications equipment maker and a leading smartphone brand, said Thursday that it has filed a lawsuit in New Orleans challenging a recent FCC decision that prohibits American carriers from using federal subsidies to purchase Huawei equipment.

Song Liuping, Huawei's chief legal officer, said at a press conference Thursday that FCC chairman Ajit Pai is targeting Huawei because it "is a Chinese company, that's his only excuse."

"He has tried to spread fear about Huawei. He uses words like 'back door' to scare people, but offers no proof," Song added.

Huawei's lawsuit argues that the FCC order is unlawful because it gives no evidence of the national security threat that the company poses, which is in violation of the US Constitution and other laws. The company has made similar arguments in other litigation against the US government.

The latest lawsuit is part of Huawei's broader strategy of fighting Washington's pressure campaign on the Chinese company through US courts and public opinion. In March, Huawei sued the US government over a law that banned federal agencies from buying its products. Huawei executives have published op-eds in the Wall Street Journal and USA Today, insisting that it is a private company and "not a tool of the Chinese government."

The company has also dramatically upped its spending on Washington lobbyists to nearly $1.9 million in the first nine months of this year, compared to $165,000 in 2018, according to Open Secrets, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington.

In an interview with CNN Business last week, Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei said the FCC decision goes against "the bedrock principle [of the US political system] because the US government should serve the best interests of Americans."

But Washington says Huawei poses a national security threat and has taken several steps to curb its business, including barring US companies from supplying the Chinese firm with key tech and software. The Trump administration has also argued that installing Huawei's equipment in US networks could allow Chinese spies to eavesdrop on sensitive US communications. Huawei denies the allegations, and says none of its products pose a national security risk.

That has not stopped President Donald Trump from keeping up the pressure campaign. At a NATO summit outside London, Trump said on Wednesday that using Chinese equipment in 5G networks poses "a security risk," and that the US would not be using Huawei. He added that he had raised the issue with several countries.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, also speaking at the NATO summit on Wednesday, toughened his stance against the Chinese company.

Johnson told reporters that using Huawei equipment could pose a national security risk and could "prejudice" the UK's ability to cooperate with other members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance (the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada).

Huawei's US business is limited to sales of telecommunications equipment to a few small, rural carriers. The FCC estimates that the company only accounts for a small percentage of equipment in US networks, "likely in the low single digits," according to a recent FCC report.

A Huawei executive who previously headed the company's US business said on Thursday that the company's US revenue "is minimal" when compared with its global revenue, which hit $105 billion last year.

But Huawei is pushing back on the latest US restriction in part to defend its global brand. The company has signed more than 50 5G contracts with carriers around the world.

Being branded a national security threat by the US "will bring about reputation losses and that will have a further impact on our business," Alan Fan, vice president for IP strategy and international legal policy with Huawei, told reporters Thursday.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
×