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ZTE operates in three business segments: carrier networks, government and corporate business, and consumer business. During the 2000s, the majority of ZTE‘s customers were developing country mobile network operators, but ZTE products see use in developed countries as well. In October 2010, ZTE‘s unified encryption module received U.S./Canada FIPS140-2 security certification. ZTE was also reported to have developed identification cards for Venezuela that were allegedly used for tracking and social control.

Chinese government surveillance could be performed through its handsets and infrastructure equipment. In 2012, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence issued a report recommending that the government be prohibited from purchasing equipment from the firms, citing them as possible threats to national security. Following the 2020-2021 China-India skirmishes, India announced that ZTE would be blocked from participating in the country’s 5G network for national security reasons. During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, ZTE refused to withdraw from the Russian market. A ban on government purchases of Huawei. Research from Yale University published on 10 August 2022, identifying how companies were reacting to Russia’s invasion identified ZTE in the worst category of “Digging in”, meaning Defying Demands for Exit: companies defying demands for exit/reduction of activities.