Spain awarded €12.3 million in contracts to Huawei
July 14, 2025 
Spain gives Huawei wiretap contracts, sparking concerns over potential Chinese government access due to Huawei’s links to Beijing.
The Spanish Ministry of the Interior has awarded €12.3 million ($14.3 million) contracts to manage and store judicially authorized wiretaps used by law enforcement and intelligence agencies, raising concerns about potential Chinese government access due to the company’s ties to Beijing.
Between 2021 and 2025, Spain awarded centralized contracts for digital storage of court-ordered wiretaps to Huawei, using its OceanStor 6800 V5 servers. These systems store and classify intercepted communications for law enforcement, adhering to National Security Framework standards and ICT Security Guidelines set by the National Cryptologic Center (CCN-STIC). The contracts, part of routine procurement processes managed by the General Directorate for the Rationalization and Centralization of Procurement, were publicly tendered and are listed on the State Procurement Platform.
“The purchase of the system from the Asian company did not occur in isolation: Huawei already provided technological support within legal interception systems (SITEL ). As THE OBJECTIVE published , there is growing unrest in sectors of the National Police and Civil Guard over Huawei’s continued provision of sensitive systems for police forces and the CNI.” reads a report published by the Spanish newspaper The Objective. “Internal sources from both forces expressed concern over what they consider a strategic inconsistency in terms of security, since they attempt to exercise extreme caution with foreign programs but entrust this data to a company linked to the Chinese Communist Party.”
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has been notably supportive of Huawei, opposing EU efforts to restrict the company’s role in 5G networks. Huawei, which operates research centers in Madrid and contracts with public administrations, enjoys a strong presence in Spain. This stance contrasts with the more cautious approach taken by US and many EU states.
Huawei’s OceanStor is a high-end yet cost-effective storage system, favored over Western alternatives for its affordability. The system is widely used in Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, however concerns persist over Huawei’s ties to the Chinese state. The Spanish newspaper pointed out that despite lacking certification from Spain’s intelligence agency (CNI), Huawei was integrated into Spain’s wiretap infrastructure.
Huawei denies engaging in espionage or accessing stored data.
“The contrast between official European discourse and the Spanish reality has fueled doubts about the coherence of the government’s cybersecurity strategy.” concludes the report “While some countries are strengthening their digital shielding against possible foreign interference, Spain continues to entrust highly sensitive tasks to a company facing serious intelligence warnings.”
In January 2020, the EU’s executive Commission presented a set of rules and technical measures aimed at reducing cybersecurity risks from the adoption of 5G. The Commission’s recommendations included blocking high-risk equipment suppliers from “critical and sensitive” components of 5G infrastructures, such as the core. The EU’s executive Commission did not explicitly mention companies, but a clear reference is to the Chinese firm Huawei.
In November 2019, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission cut off government funding for equipment from the Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE due to security concerns. The Federal Communications Commission also requested the government to assign subsidies to the American companies that will replace any equipment from the Chinese firms that they already have in place.
The FCC fears that the Chinese firms could conduct cyber espionage for their government due to their “substantial ties to the Chinese government,”
In July 2020, the FCC blocked Chinese companies from receiving subsidies from a government fund, its decision is part of its efforts to protect the national communications networks from security risks posed by the use of Chinese equipment.
The FCC’s move definitively banned U.S. organizations from using the government Universal Service Fund for acquiring equipment or services provided by Chinese firms.
In September 2020, a report published by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) revealed that performing a full replacement of all Huawei and ZTE equipment on American wireless networks will cost $1.837bn in total.
The U.S. pushed its allies for banning Huawei, ZTE and other Chinese companies. The Chinese giant Huawei was already excluded by several countries from building their 5G internet networks. The United States, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, and Japan announced the exclusion of Huawei technology from their 5G internet networks.
In April 2018, the UK GCHQ intelligence agency warned UK telcos firms of the risks of using ZTE equipment and services for their infrastructure.
In December 2018, a Czech cyber-security agency warned against using Huawei and ZTE technologies because they pose a threat to state security.
Follow me on Twitter: @securityaffairs and Facebook and Mastodon
(SecurityAffairs – hacking, Spain)