The Spanish Ministry of the Interior has controversially awarded €12.3 million ($14.3 million) in contracts to Huawei to manage and store judicially authorized wiretaps used by its law enforcement and intelligence agencies. These contracts, spanning from 2021 to 2025, involve Huawei’s OceanStor 6800 V5 servers for storing and classifying intercepted communications. Despite being part of routine public procurement processes and adhering to national security standards, this move has raised significant concerns within Spain’s National Police and Civil Guard, as well as internationally, due to Huawei’s widely reported links to the Chinese government.
Internal sources within Spanish security forces have expressed alarm over what they perceive as a “strategic inconsistency” in cybersecurity.
While exercising extreme caution with other foreign programs, Spain is entrusting highly sensitive data to a company consistently flagged for its ties to the Chinese Communist Party. This concern is exacerbated by the fact that Huawei already provides technological support within Spain’s legal interception systems (SITEL) and was integrated into the wiretap infrastructure despite reportedly lacking certification from Spain’s intelligence agency (CNI).
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has notably shown support for Huawei, a stance that contrasts sharply with the increasing restrictions imposed by the United States and many other European Union member states on the Chinese company’s involvement in critical infrastructure, particularly 5G networks. Huawei maintains a strong presence in Spain, operating research centers and securing numerous contracts with public administrations, likely due to its cost-effective solutions like the OceanStor system, which is favored over more expensive Western alternatives.
However, the global landscape reflects a growing distrust of Huawei.
The US, for instance, has repeatedly cut off government funding and banned its organizations from using the Universal Service Fund for acquiring equipment or services from Huawei and ZTE, citing significant security concerns and potential for cyber espionage. These actions, stemming from fears of substantial ties to the Chinese government, have led to calls for a complete replacement of Chinese equipment in American wireless networks, a costly undertaking estimated at over $1.8 billion.
The international push against Huawei extends beyond the US, with countries like Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Japan, and even warnings from the UK’s GCHQ intelligence agency and a Czech cyber-security agency, all expressing concerns about the security risks posed by Huawei and ZTE technologies. Despite Huawei’s denials of engaging in espionage or accessing stored data, the “contrast between official European discourse and the Spanish reality” has fueled doubts about the coherence of Spain’s cybersecurity strategy, as other nations prioritize digital shielding against potential foreign interference while Spain continues to rely on a company facing serious intelligence warnings.
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