The U.S. Federal Communications Commission says it has stopped a dashboard camera and a wireless video transmitter from being marketed or sold in the country after finding they contained a chip made by HiSilicon, a Huawei subsidiary. The commission calls this its first enforcement action under new rules covering certain smart-hardware components. Reuters independently reported the same two device categories. [1] [2]

What the order does—and does not say

The FCC says the HiSilicon chip is listed as “designed for the surveillance market” and includes facial-detection algorithms. That is the agency’s characterization of the chip maker’s marketing material. Its public release does not claim that either device was used for surveillance, name the device brands or model numbers, or provide a technical analysis showing that the products collected or transmitted data improperly. [1]

The action concerns the two identified device types and the approvals required for U.S. marketing and sales. Reuters reported that Huawei had not immediately responded to its request for comment and that HiSilicon could not immediately be reached. [2]

Component-level scrutiny

The FCC says the new rules took effect on Oct. 13, 2026. They bar authorization of devices that incorporate certain logic-bearing components produced by entities on the FCC Covered List, where those entities’ own equipment would be barred from authorization. The agency says this extends its prior restrictions, which focused on covered equipment rather than otherwise lawful products solely because they incorporated a covered component. [1]

This is not a general ban on cameras, wireless transmitters or all products containing foreign-made chips. The FCC’s equipment guidance says authorization is required for most electronic devices before import, marketing or sale, and the new action illustrates how supply-chain rules can reach components inside a finished product. [1] [3]

The commission has not said how many other products may face review or how it will prioritize future enforcement. The release establishes an initial case, not the scale or outcome of subsequent investigations. [1]

Sources

[1] FCC: FCC Blocks Two Devices Containing Foreign Surveillance Chips [2] Reuters: US blocks two devices with Chinese-made surveillance chips [3] FCC equipment authorization guidance