FCC bans select Chinese cameras and telecom equipment in the United States

The Federal Communications Commission in the United States has just banned a number of cameras and telecom technology from Chinese manufacturers.

The ban specifically affects hardware from Huawei, ZTE, Hikvision, Hytera, and Dahua. While previous moves by the government prevented companies in the United States from exporting technology to those companies, much of the products the above companies make will now be banned from being imported into the country.

FCC commissioner Brendan Carr says that the move is due to the agency finding particular equipment “an unacceptable national security risk.”

Once we have determined that equipment from certain manufacturers poses an unacceptable national security risk, it makes no sense to allow that exact same equipment to be purchased and inserted into our communications networks as long as federal dollars are not involved.

FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel says that there will now be a freeze on all telecommunications and video surveillance equipment until the companies affected “document what safeguards they will put in place on marketing or sale for these purposes.”

For these three companies, we will require them to document what safeguards they will put in place on marketing or sale for these purposes. We are putting in place a freeze on all of their telecommunications and video surveillance equipment authorization applications until that work is done.

As The Verge notes, the ban won’t apply to consumer devices “if they agree to market the cams to consumers, or small businesses.” So, some devices from those brands will still be able to be sold as long as they aren’t involved with federal funds.

Now that the ban is in place, those companies will no longer be able to import or sell anything with a radio in the United States if it falls under the parameters of the ban. First, the ban was for companies in the U.S. Now, it is for the companies outside of it.