The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken a decisive step to tighten restrictions on Chinese tech firms that the U.S. deems threats to national security, especially on Chinese telecommunications and surveillance equipment.
The FCC’s 3-0 unanimous vote on October 28 gave the agency expanded authority to prohibit both new and previously authorized electronic products linked to Chinese firms identified on its “Covered List,” which includes Big Techs like Huawei, ZTE, and state-associated entities such as China Mobile.
This move by the FCC is another schtick in the U.S.’ aggressive crackdown on Chinese tech, aimed at closing loopholes that could allow risky devices slip through regulatory cracks which could also ultimately affect the security standing of the U.S.
As FCC Chair Brendan Carr put it, the agency is closing gaps “that bad actors could use to threaten the security of our networks.”
Beyond the vote, a coordinated federal push by the FCC termed the “Operation Clean Carts” has seen major online retailers pull millions of listings for Chinese tech products including smartwatches, security cameras, and other devices that are thought to pose surveillance or cybersecurity risks to the U.S.
These electronic equipment are owned by Chinese entities already listed on the agency’s “Covered list,” including companies like Huawei, ZTE, Dahua Technology, and Hangzhou Hikvision.
“The Communist Party of China has engaged in a multi-prong effort to insert insecure gear into Americans’ homes and businesses,” Carr said in a press release that acknowledged the success of the FCC-sponsored operation. “I am pleased that e-commerce sites quickly responded to the FCC’s efforts to shut down the illegal, online sale of these unlawful devices.”
Additionally, due to the agency’s new expanded authority, they can now revoke operating licenses from certain Chinese subsidiaries and sever ties with many Chinese government-affiliated telecommunications test labs. This means the denial of the authorization for new Chinese-made telecom gear and also the restriction of the continued sale of existing equipment that threatens or poses a risk to the U.S. communication networks.
This crackdown comes after the U.S. Commerce Department initiated similar sweeping export controls on Chinese companies.
In response to this move, China has also been ramping up its own measures. The government recently mandated that state-backed data centers source and use only domestically-made AI chips, which may exclude U.S. chipmakers like Nvidia and Intel from critical infrastructure projects and further puts them in the crosshairs of growing geopolitical friction.
The FCC’s recent actions and the broader U.S.-China tech standoff highlights the high stakes of controlling emerging technologies with geopolitical and economic implications.
While the FCC is striking hard at Chinese tech companies and their suppliers of tech devices that could compromise the U.S. security, it remains to be seen whether these measures will significantly alter the global technology landscape or go as far as push China into building a similar superior technology ecosystem.
