FCC bars two Huawei-chip devices under new rule
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The US Federal Communications Commission said it has barred two devices containing chips made by Huawei subsidiary HiSilicon from being sold in the United States, in the agency’s first use of powers created under a new rule. The products are a dashcam and a wireless video transmitter, and the FCC said the chips were marketed for surveillance applications including face-detection algorithms.
Key Points
- The FCC announced the ban on October 23, saying it was the first enforcement action taken under rules approved earlier this year.
- The two affected products are a dashcam and a wireless video transmitter that use chips made by HiSilicon, a Huawei subsidiary.
- According to the FCC, HiSilicon promoted the chips as designed for the surveillance market and equipped with face-detection algorithms.
- FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said video equipment using surveillance chips from companies on the agency’s national security list poses clear and unacceptable risks
- The FCC voted in July, including on July 22 according to one report, to ban sales in the US of devices containing key hardware from Chinese companies deemed national security risks.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the move shows that US restrictions are extending beyond telecom networks to downstream video and monitoring equipment that uses Chinese-made chips. That could affect how manufacturers, distributors and buyers assess compliance risks when products include surveillance-related components tied to firms already under US scrutiny.