Major online retailers in the United States have removed millions of listings for restricted Chinese-made electronic products following enforcement action by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The move, part of a broader national security initiative, targets unauthorized or blacklisted items such as smartwatches and home surveillance cameras from well-known Chinese manufacturers including Huawei, ZTE, Hangzhou Hikvision, and Dahua Technology Company.
In an interview, FCC Chair Brendan Carr confirmed that retailers have strengthened internal procedures to prevent future listings of unapproved electronics. “We’re going to keep our efforts up,” Carr stated, underscoring the agency’s commitment to ongoing oversight.
The FCC recently issued a national security alert reminding U.S. companies about the continued ban on certain Chinese equipment, particularly video surveillance systems.
Carr emphasized that these devices could enable China to “surveil Americans, disrupt communications networks and otherwise threaten U.S. national security.”
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Broader U.S. Efforts to Curb Chinese Technology Risks
The latest action adds to a growing list of U.S. measures targeting Chinese technology companies over espionage and data privacy fears.
Over the past several years, American regulators have moved against Chinese firms in industries ranging from telecommunications to semiconductor manufacturing and electric vehicles.
Earlier this week, the FCC announced plans to vote later this month on even tighter restrictions against Chinese-made telecommunications hardware considered security threats.
The proposal would mark the next phase in an ongoing campaign by Washington to limit Beijing’s access to U.S. markets through technology channels.
The FCC’s “Covered List” already includes major Chinese corporations such as Huawei, ZTE, China Mobile, and China Telecom, effectively banning the importation or sale of their new equipment in the United States.
The upcoming October 28 vote will determine whether to expand that prohibition to include devices containing components from companies already on the list and, in certain cases, to restrict previously authorized items.
In March, the agency also launched investigations into nine companies featured on the Covered List, among them Huawei, ZTE, Hytera Communications, Dahua, Pacifica Networks/ComNet, and China Unicom (Americas). The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to the developments.
Separately, the FCC has revoked the authority of several Chinese telecom providers to operate in the United States and, just last month, began proceedings to withdraw recognition from seven testing laboratories tied to the Chinese government, citing ongoing national security concerns.
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