FCC bans two gadgets for containing Huawei-linked silicon

The Federal Communications Commission has prohibited the sale of a dashboard camera and a wireless video transmitter in the United States. This is the first time the agency has used a new rule to ban products based on the specific chips inside them rather than the brand or model name.

The FCC adopted this approach to close a loophole in existing regulations. Previously, manufacturers could rebrand products that contained parts from Chinese entities on US export restriction lists. By targeting the silicon directly, the agency can block a component across multiple devices without filing separate actions for each label.

Both banned devices contain a HiSilicon Smart Vision system on a chip. HiSilicon is a subsidiary of Huawei, which appears on the FCC's Covered List of entities considered a risk to US national security. The specific chip, identified as the Hi3516CV610 UHD Smart Vision, is designed for surveillance and camera products.

The processor combines WiFi, Ethernet, and video encoding hardware with an Arm Cortex-A7 central processing unit. It also includes a neural processing unit for artificial intelligence functions. The FCC cited this NPU as the primary concern because it contains logic-bearing smart components made by covered entities.

According to the chip's technical documentation, its Intelligent Video Engine uses a built-in multimodal large model. This allows the AI to track relationships between objects across video frames. The system maintains attention on subjects such as pets, faces, human figures, and parcels. For consumers, this feature helps distinguish between a pet moving and a person taking a package.

The FCC stated that the same logic-bearing AI could be used to survey US citizens and log faces for foreign surveillance. This action follows previous controversies involving Huawei, including its use of shell companies to manufacture AI chips through TSMC despite US requests to stop supplying certain Chinese customers.

The agency's decision rests on the Communications Act of 1934, which directs the FCC to protect both wired and wireless interstate and international communications. The ban applies immediately to the two named products. No other devices have been blocked under this specific chip-level provision as of today.