The devices and the FCC's concerns
Reuters reported that the FCC barred the two products from sale, citing their HiSilicon chips. The agency said HiSilicon promotes the chips for surveillance uses, with capabilities that include detecting human faces through algorithms.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr described video equipment containing surveillance chips from companies on the US national security list as a serious threat. He said the two blocked products posed unacceptable risks to national and public security.
The FCC identified HiSilicon's Hi3516CV610 UHD Smart Vision system-on-chip as the component at issue, according to The Times of India. But it did not disclose either product's brand or model, or confirm whether both contain that specific chip.
The Times of India also reported that the FCC has not said either device transmitted data to Huawei. The decision rests on the chip manufacturer's identity rather than evidence of data transfers.
Huawei had not responded to a request for comment, Reuters reported. HiSilicon was unavailable for comment.
From finished equipment to components
The action comes as President Donald Trump's administration intensifies restrictions on Chinese technology devices. The rule used in this case took effect on October 13, 2026, according to The Times of India.
Huawei has been on the FCC's Covered List since March 2021. Because the listing also covers subsidiaries and affiliates, HiSilicon falls within its reach.
Previously, the restrictions treated finished equipment differently from components. Reuters reported that, beginning in 2022, equipment made by listed companies such as Huawei could no longer receive new authorizations, while products incorporating Huawei parts could still gain approval for the US market.
The FCC moved to close that gap with a July 22, 2026, decision barring authorization of devices containing key hardware from Chinese companies deemed national security risks. According to law firm Dickinson Wright, the agency adopted the measure as a Third Report and Order in its supply chain security proceeding. The order, FCC 26-50, was released July 23.
The rule addresses what the FCC calls the "component part loophole" by prohibiting authorization of equipment containing a logic-bearing hardware component made by a Covered List entity.
Dickinson Wright explains that the definition covers components that process data using digital timing signals above 9,000 pulses per second or radio-frequency energy. Integrated circuits, modules and subassemblies fall within that definition; purely mechanical or passive parts, including housings, resistors and plain battery cells, do not.
Limits and marketplace deadlines
The prohibition concerns new equipment applications only. Products that already have approval may remain on sale, according to The Times of India.
Online marketplaces also face a requirement to show a device's FCC ID at the point of sale. Their compliance deadlines are March 1 and June 1, 2027, with the applicable date determined by the platform's level of control over the product, the outlet reported.
