Huawei filed defamation complaints in France over espionage claims

Huawei has filed three libel charges in France against three individuals who alleged in the media that the company is run by the Chinese state and is abusing its presence in telecom networks for espionage.

Huawei filed charges in March against a French researcher, a journalist and a telecom expert. This is apparent from a publication by the French La Lettre A. On Twitter confirms Huawei submitting the defamation complaints via the account ‘HuaweiFactsFR’. The company also states that the complaints are not directed against the media.

One of the charges is against a researcher from the independent defense and security institute Fondation pour la recherche stratégique. That organization defends itself in a press release, invoking the freedom of expression of its researchers on current issues of strategic importance.

The employee of the institute made her statements on French TV programs in February. According to Bloomberg, she said, among other things, that “no one would have given a Soviet company the ability to monitor all communications in the Western world, but this is what we are doing with Huawei.”

Huawei speaks of “seriously defamatory” claims that the company would be controlled by the Chinese state and the Communist Party of China and abuse its technological expertise in telecom networks to commit espionage.

France does not exclude Huawei from the construction of 5G networks, but has taken measures to screen technology by its intelligence services.