Belgian companies including Fluxys, Proximus, and Colruyt have reportedly been using potentially risky telecommunications equipment from China, a recent investigation reveals.
An inquiry by De Tijd and Dutch news site Follow The Money, highlighted by L’Echo, has indicated a concerning trend. Various companies have chosen to install video conferencing systems from Chinese brand Yealink during the pandemic, despite warnings about the supplier posing security risks.
Belgian state also implicated
Public administrations like the National Crisis Centre and the City of Brussels have also used Yealink products. Particularly, the City of Brussels has reportedly used hundreds of these devices.
Belgian State Security has raised red flags. Peter Gorlé, a spokesperson, mentioned, “According to open sources, Yealink has technical security risks.” He further emphasized that Yealink is bound by Chinese laws that could give the Chinese government access to data collected by its companies.
