China-based communications equipment maker Huawei said today that Google has begun the process of cutting off Huawei’s access to Android hardware and software services support.
The decision by Google follows the Trump administration’s release last week of an executive order that grants the Federal government authority to prohibit private-sector use of communications technologies made by foreign firms that could be considered U.S. adversaries. Shortly after release of the EO, the Commerce Department added Huawei to its Bureau of Industry and Security’s Entity List, preventing American companies from selling technology to Huawei without approval from the American government.
“We are complying with the order and reviewing the implications,” a Google spokesperson told Reuters, which first reported the story.
Huawei will lose access to Google’s Android operating system, as well as access to the latest versions of services such as the Google Play Store, YouTube, and Gmail. The restrictions don’t apply to Google services that are available via open source licensing. Current Huawei smartphones users with Google applications will still be able to use and download app updates.
