FCC Issues National Security Advisory; Carr Touts Covered List Success
The FCC Public Safety Bureau has issued a national security advisory reminding companies that communications equipment on the "covered list" has been “determined to pose unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States and its citizens.” FCC Chairman Brandon Carr posted the advisory on X Friday.
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“Most of these entities are closely tied to foreign adversaries, like China, and can allow [Beijing] to surveil Americans, disrupt communications networks, and otherwise threaten U.S. national security,” wrote Carr. “Anyone purchasing devices, including security cameras, should check the current version of the Covered List ahead of time.” The FCC’s covered list is available here.
Also Friday, Carr posted a news release on X saying that Operation Clean Carts, the FCC's initiative to remove "covered list" equipment from online retailers, has resulted in the elimination of “several million” listings from e-commerce sites. As of that afternoon, neither the release nor the advisory was available on the FCC’s website, which still had a banner warning of infrequent updates due to the government shutdown.
“The Communist Party of China has engaged in a multi-prong effort to insert insecure gear into American’s homes and businesses,” Carr said in the posted release. “I expect all online retailers to do their part and comply with the federal prohibition on the marketing and sale of Covered List devices.” He praised the companies that worked with the FCC on the Clean Carts effort in the release, but the posting didn't include a list of the cooperating websites. The agency didn’t respond to a request for further information.
The "covered list" items targeted by the FCC include Huawei smartwatches and Dahua home security cameras, the release said. Along with removing listings, online retailers committed to using automated and manual screening for covered equipment, educating third-party retailers and updating their internal protocols, it said. Some companies have also “committed to ongoing coordination and collaboration with the FCC to ensure unauthorized equipment is not sold through their sites.”