The Federal Communications Commission has blocked two gadgets for containing computer chips made by a company on its list of potential national security threats. This action marks the first time the agency is exercising a new power granted on October 13, which allows it to block devices containing any chip from a designated risky company.
The agency did not specify which gadgets were blocked, nor did it immediately respond to requests for comment. However, it identified the specific component at the center of the ban: the HiVision Hi3516CV610 UHD Smart Vision SoC. This system-on-chip is designed to convert raw camera sensor data into usable video feeds for home security cameras, dashcams, and similar devices.
HiVision and Huawei Connection
The FCC classified the HiVision chip as a “foreign surveillance chip” because the manufacturer advertises it as being “designed for the surveillance market.” The company claims the chip includes built-in detection algorithms for human faces. HiVision is a subsidiary of Huawei, a telecommunications giant that the US government has long considered a national security risk.
Huawei is listed on the FCC’s Covered List, which identifies companies whose equipment poses unacceptable risks to national security. The agency stated that the new rule helps close a loophole that previously allowed companies to bypass bans by embedding products from restricted firms inside gadgets made by other manufacturers.
Expanding FCC Authority
This move follows a pattern of the FCC expanding its regulatory reach. The agency recently granted itself the power to retroactively ban gadgets and to block modular radio transmitters. Critics question whether these actions protect consumers or simply allow the agency to pick winners and losers in the technology market.
The FCC has declined to engage in discussions about its enforcement efforts in the past. The agency’s actions regarding the HiVision chip come as part of a broader effort to restrict the use of technology from companies deemed threats to US security.
Source: The Verge
