The Pentagon has ordered all stores on U.S. military bases worldwide to ban mobile phones and other telecommunications equipment made by the Chinese companies Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and ZTE Corp. after senior U.S. intelligence officials warned the phones could be used to spy on Americans and U.S. service members. The products were removed from exchange service stores and exchange concessionaires worldwide following warnings from top U.S. intelligence officials and lawmakers that Chinese mobile phones could track movements of the military. In a statement, the Pentagon said, “Huawei and ZTE devices may pose an unacceptable risk to the Department’s personnel, information and mission. In light of this information, it was not prudent for the Department’s stores to continue selling them.”Officials told Fox News the Pentagon also recently terminated its use of BlackBerry smartphones, and now issues Apple iPhones, which also are assembled in China. Tom Cotton, the junior senator from Arkansas, asked some of the most pointed questions to the panel of U.S. intelligence officials during the hearing.

Source: Fox News May 03, 2018 01:07 UTC