Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission officially designated telecommunications companies Huawei and ZTE as threats to national security.
“With today’s Orders, and based on the overwhelming weight of evidence, the Bureau has designated Huawei and ZTE as national security risks to America’s communications networks — and to our 5G future,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement Tuesday. “Both companies have close ties to the Chinese Communist Party and China’s military apparatus, and both companies are broadly subject to Chinese law obligating them to cooperate with the country’s intelligence services.”
By designating Huawei and ZTE as threats to US national security, the FCC bars telecommunications providers from using…