This week, the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology prevented two devices (a dashboard camera and a wireless video transmitter) from being marketed or sold in the United States. It did so after determining that those models of devices contained a dangerous foreign chip produced by a Covered List entity—namely, HiSilicon, a subsidiary of Huawei. HiSilicon advertises its chip as "designed for the surveillance market" with "[b]uilt in detection algorithms for human faces." This is the first FCC enforcement action taken under the agency's rules that took effect last week prohibiting authorization of devices containing logic-bearing (i.e. "smart") components produced by entities identified on the Covered List. The FCC will continue to aggressively enforce its Covered List component rules.
Chairman Brendan Carr issued the following statement:
"The FCC will continue to act with vigilance in protecting and promoting America's national security. Video devices containing surveillance chips produced by Covered List entities pose an obvious and unacceptable risk to the nation and our people. I applaud the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology for their work and for preventing this potential spyware from obtaining the approvals necessary for marketing and sale in the U.S. We will continue to act aggressively to enforce our rules and secure American networks."
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Read the full press release here.