Huawei’s HarmonyOS: Navigating the Landscape of China’s Desire for Digital Sovereignty

Already the second-largest mobile operating system in China as of early 2024, Huawei launched the HarmonyOS 5.0 recently in mid-October 2024. With the global smartphone operating system market being __previously primarily dominated __by Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android, Huawei’s release of HarmonyOS challenges this duopoly. This marks a significant shift in the mainland Chinese and global technology landscape, highlighting increasing opportunities for the development of homegrown Chinese technologies.

China’s Strategic Response to Trade Restrictions

Huawei's decision to develop its own operating system, first released in 2017, has largely been driven by U.S. trade restrictions imposed on the company in 2019, among many others. These restrictions have limited Huawei’s access to services critical for Android devices, such as Google Mobile Services, hence the development of HarmonyOS.

The subsequent development focus on HarmonyOS, accompanied by an aggressive go-to-market strategy, offers China a significant degree of technological independence while also reducing its reliance on U.S.-dominated platforms. This could provide a strategic advantage to Chinese firms, as it mitigates the risks associated with potential U.S.-led sanctions or digital supply chain disruptions imposed by the U.S.

This follows a trend of other Chinese organizations, encouraged by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) government, in establishing exclusively homegrown and hosted services, including the Blockchain-based Service Network’s offerings of blockchain applications and the People’s Bank of China’s digital yuan.

As a result, it is clear that there has been an explosion of homegrown Chinese technologies and services, represented by key infrastructure services such as HarmonyOS, the Blockchain Service Network, and the digital yuan. Additionally, when these technological elements are subsequently integrated with other emerging technologies such as 5G networks and artificial intelligence (AI), China's technological advancement will most certainly become accelerated, while simultaneously bolstering and potentially ensuring its digital sovereignty.

Implications for Global Cooperation

The emergence of HarmonyOS as a viable alternative to Western-developed operating systems could fragment the global digital market, forcing global companies to localize their services even more while also challenging local and regional companies' expansion capabilities beyond their market segments. In this respect, the growth in the adoption of HarmonyOS may also limit access to certain apps and services, particularly those developed primarily for Western platforms.,

Additionally, increased usage of HarmonyOS could further hinder international cooperation on topics such as cybersecurity and wireless technology standards, especially in light of different local, regional, and global regulatory frameworks and laws. This could make it difficult for internationally-driven standardization efforts to truly occur for the benefit of the consumer, instead potentially benefiting individual nation-states, organizations, and/or enterprises.

The PRC has shown its far-reaching capabilities to wield global influence, already playing an active role in molding the global regulatory landscape for topics such as drones and AI through its influence in international organizations like the United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

By strategically placing Chinese nationals in key leadership positions and actively participating in standard-setting processes, among other means, the PRC’s motives clearly speak to its aims to promote its own technological advancements and potentially influence the future trajectory of these industries.

The implementation of additional dominant software systems such as HarmonyOS, would either unwittingly and/or intentionally enable the PRC to align global regulations with its national interests and create a favorable environment for its domestic industries.

Data Privacy and Surveillance Concerns

Furthermore, the increased development, adoption, and focus on spreading HarmonyOS infrastructure in a mobile device manufacturer as popular as Huawei raises significant domestic and international concerns about data privacy and surveillance. For one, China's less stringent cybersecurity laws and regulations could allow the government easier access to user data.

Additionally, government-mandated backdoors in operating systems like HarmonyOS could enable surveillance and data interception both locally and abroad.

Data localization requirements may also force users to store data on Chinese servers, subjecting them to potential PRC seizure, but at the least, jurisdiction within China. This could have significant effects on companies with headquarters and subsidiaries within China, potentially enabling an unfair competitive advantage not only in government-based technologies but also at the corporate level.

Lastly, there is also a potential for built-in surveillance features in HarmonyOS, with such techniques including enabling microphone and camera access without explicit user consent, a tactic that has been previously discovered in hardware with Chinese origins.

Conclusion

The long-term impact of HarmonyOS on strategic competition remains uncertain; however, it must be fully acknowledged that HarmonyOS represents a significant technological advancement for China.

In light of these advancements, Chinese and global users should exercise caution, review app permissions, and stay informed about security updates in relation to HarmonyOS, especially due to potential Chinese government legislation enabling increased access to users' information by usurping existing privacy laws knowingly or unknowingly via HarmonyOS.

Therefore, as the technological landscape continues to evolve, the interplay between geopolitical tensions and technological innovation will continue to shape the future of the digital age.