Countries draft 5G security proposals as US warns of Huawei threat

Security officials and experts from more than 30 countries came together in Prague this week to work out guidelines for the deployment of 5G networks. On Friday, they issued a set of proposals to secure the rollout of the next generation of cellular technology.

The nonbinding Prague Proposals warn governments against relying on 5G technology that might be vulnerable to state influence.

“The overall risk of influence on a supplier by a third country should be taken into account” reads the proposal. It also notes that “risk assessments of supplier’s products should take into account all relevant factors, including applicable legal environment and other aspects of supplier’s ecosystem.”

No suppliers were specifically named in the proposals, but the US government has been discouraging allies from using 5G network equipment from Chinese telecom giant Huawei. US security officials have suggested Huawei technology could be used by the Chinese government to spy on other countries. The company has long denied any wrongdoing and continues to maintain its innocence.

In preparation for 5G rollout and any future networks, the Prague Proposals focused on policy, technology, economy, security, privacy and resilience. Representatives from the European Union, Japan, Korea, the US and other nations were in attendance.

Huawei didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the proposals.