FCC Blocks Two Devices Over Huawei Surveillance Chips
National News - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has stopped two electronic devices from being sold in the United States. The agency says both contain a chip made for watching people, built by a company owned by Huawei.
The two devices are a dashboard camera and a wireless video transmitter. The FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology took the action this week, keeping those models from being marketed or sold anywhere in the country.
This is the first time the FCC has enforced a new set of rules that focus on the small parts inside electronics. Those rules took effect on October 13, 2026.
The chip at the center of the decision comes from HiSilicon, a company owned by Huawei. HiSilicon is on the FCC's Covered List, which names companies seen as a risk to national security.
HiSilicon's own advertising describes the chip as "designed for the surveillance market" with "built in detection algorithms for human faces." Put simply, the chip is made to find and pick out faces on video.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr spoke about the decision in a 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."
Most electronics sold in the United States need the FCC's approval before they can be brought into the country, advertised or sold. This approval is called an equipment authorization.
For years, the FCC has refused to approve equipment made by companies on the Covered List. The reason is the national security risk those companies are believed to pose.
There was a gap in those rules, though. A device made by a different company could still be approved, even if it had parts inside that were made by a Covered List company.
Earlier this year, the FCC approved new rules to close that gap. The rules target "smart" parts, which are parts that can process information, such as computer chips.
Under the new rules, the FCC will not approve a device that has a smart part made by a Covered List company. This applies any time the FCC would have turned the device down if that same company had built the whole thing itself.
The FCC says this week's action will not be the last. The agency plans to keep enforcing its Covered List rules on parts with the same strong approach.
