AT&T Ditching a Deal With Huawei Could Become a Political Mess
American carrier AT&T has pulled out of plans to sell phones from Chinese maker Huawei, raising questions about international relations.
The scrapped deal: Huawei is the world’s biggest phone maker behind Samsung and Apple, but it hasn’t had much of a presence in America. A partnership with AT&T was to change that, but the Wall Street Journal reports it’s now off the table.
Why the U-turn? It’s not clear. Another Journal article says lawmakers in Washington still have concerns that Huawei hardware could be used to spy on Americans, noting that “pressure may have … had an impact.” The Information seems to agree, saying “political pressure” is behind the move.
Chinese relations: The South China Morning Post says these events will heighten Chinese-American tensions. Last week, Alibaba’s payment firm, Ant Financial, was blocked from acquiring MoneyGram over security concerns. A former Chinese commerce official told the Post that Beijing should consider “countermeasures” if things get worse.
Deep Dive
Tech policy
How to preserve your digital memories
Following recent announcements by Google and Twitter, more data deletion policies are coming.
Your digital life isn’t as permanent as you think it is
Google will delete accounts after two years of inactivity, and experts expect more data deletion policies to come
Behind the scenes of Carnegie Mellon’s heated privacy dispute
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University wanted to create a privacy-preserving smart sensor. They were accused of violating privacy instead.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.