The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to close loopholes in its Covered List to secure America’s communications networks against devices that may pose a risk to national security.
The devices, many of which are tied to foreign adversaries like China, can allow foreign governments to surveil Americans and disrupt American communications networks, officials said. The recent vote clarified and strengthened the FCC existing prohibitions on covered equipment while further strengthening the security of the U.S. supply chain through importation and marketing controls.
The FCC said its Covered List prohibits importing, selling and marketing new, and insecure Huawei, Hikvision, and other devices in the U.S. However, agency regulations have not applied those prohibitions to previously authorized devices and technically permitted their continued importation, sale and marketing. Officials said the prior regulations have not applied to component parts included in the devices.
The new rules will establish a process for the FCC to prohibit importing, selling or marketing those previously authorized devices and their component parts, and placing them on the Covered List.
Lastly, the commission also adopted a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that seeks comment on extending an equipment authorization prohibition to a larger class of foreign adversary-controlled devices and component parts produced by the Covered List entities.