Huawei, Wiretaps & Sánchez — What’s Really Going On in Spain?
By LauraAboli
The Spanish government just awarded Huawei a €12.3 million contract to manage and store wiretap data for its national intelligence system.
At first glance, it looks like just another bad idea, of which Sanchez has many, but this is not about tech, I think it’s about survival.
Until now, the system (SITEL) that processes court-approved phone taps and surveillance was handled by Western vendors — including Spanish and U.S.-linked tech firms.
This is the same system that has help expose dozens of corruption cases, including recorded conversations involving top Socialist Party officials and Sánchez’s own inner circle, including his wife and brother.
And Now — Suddenly — Huawei Takes Over?
Huawei is banned or restricted in most NATO/EU countries due to security risks and suspected ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
So why is Spain giving it access to sensitive state surveillance systems? Who benefits from shifting control of wiretap data to a foreign entity with no transparency?
Sánchez isn’t just trying to modernize the system. He may be trying to neutralize it.
Wiretaps have been at the center of scandals threatening his grip on power.
– His wife and brother are under investigation.
– His father-in-law ran brothels.
– Key evidence came from recorded calls and internal surveillance.
Now he hands that surveillance infrastructure to Huawei — a company outside EU oversight.
The Deal Could Be Simple:
“You get the contract.
I get control. And nothing involving me, my wife, or my cabinet ever sees the light of day.”
Huawei gains influence.
Sánchez gains protection.
Spain loses sovereignty.
This Isn’t About Phones. It’s About Power. This could be the infrastructure of a cover-up — not just a tech deal.
And the deeper the scandals go, the more useful it is to have recorded evidence quietly buried overseas.
Spain awards Huawei contracts to manage intelligence agency wiretaps
The Spanish government is using Huawei to manage and store judicially authorized wiretaps in the country used by both law enforcement and intelligence services, despite concerns about how the Chinese government could compel Huawei to assist Beijing with its own intelligence activities.
The Ministry of the Interior officially awarded Huawei a €12.3 million ($14.3 million) contract following a standard public procurement process, as first reported by Spanish digital newspaper The Objective. Huawei had already been contracted to provide technical support to SITEL (Sistema Integrado de Interceptación Legal de las Telecomunicaciones), Spain’s integrated system for intercepting telecommunications.
While the contract for storing wiretaps requires Huawei to comply with cybersecurity guidelines set by the Spain’s National Cryptologic Center, according to The Objective there is “growing unrest” in the National Police and Guardia Civil over the Chinese company’s involvement with sensitive systems.
Concerns about Huawei have seen the company restricted from 5G networks across the European Union, as well as varying levels of bans in networks of NATO allies such as the United States and United Kingdom.
The Objective reported that Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has been among the EU’s most supportive leaders regarding Huawei, and has pushed back against the bloc’s efforts to restrict it from 5G networks. Huawei has opened research facilities in Madrid and is a major employer as a technology contractor for a number of public administrations.
Natasha Buckley, a researcher at RUSI and lecturer in cybersecurity at Cranfield University, told Recorded Future News that Spain’s approach to the company stood in stark contrast to that of other NATO allies and many EU member states.
“Spain’s stance on high-risk technology vendors places greater emphasis on supply chain reliability than on geopolitical considerations, setting it apart from more restrictive approaches seen in countries like the UK, the Netherlands and Poland.
“While the EU’s 5G Cybersecurity Toolbox recommends limiting or excluding high-risk Chinese suppliers like Huawei, Spain’s implementation has been uneven. Huawei is restricted from some public 5G projects, yet its servers have been approved to store sensitive police wiretap data. The result is a case-by-case approach that falls short of a clearly defined policy towards high-risk vendors,” Buckley said.
Despite concerns about its links to the Chinese Communist Party and exposure to Beijing’s intelligence apparatus, Huawei itself has stressed that no backdoor has ever been found in its telecommunications equipment. A spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment regarding its involvement in Spain’s wiretap system.
Beijing has accused the West of falsely claiming that Chinese equipment poses a security risk, alleging that the restrictions are actually a protectionist economic measure.
Western concerns regarding the risk posed by Chinese equipment vendors are often expressed in the context of Beijing’s offensive cyber espionage activities and China’s National Intelligence Law of 2017, which allows the state to “compel anyone in China to do anything,” as summarized by Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre.
Original source:
https://t.me/LauraAbolichannel/73628
https://therecord.media/spain-awards-contracts-huawei-intelligence-agency-wiretaps
