TECH POLICY · UNITED STATES
Key Facts
- —The country The United States, where the FCC approves electronics before sale.
- —Why it matters Huawei chips inside a finished product can now block its US sale, whoever makes it.
- —Why now The FCC announced its first two cases on Thursday 22 October 2026, nine days after the rule began.
- —What happened The FCC blocked a dashboard camera and a wireless video transmitter carrying HiSilicon chips.
- —What it means for you US sellers and buyers of cameras, and Latin American exporters to the US, face tighter checks.
- —Still open Which brands made the two devices, and whether the FCC will name them.
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has blocked two devices from sale in the United States because they contain Huawei chips, the agency announced on Thursday 22 October 2026. The devices are a dashboard camera and a wireless video transmitter, and the chips were made by HiSilicon, Huawei’s chip-design subsidiary.
For US readers, these are the first two cases under a rule that took effect on 13 October 2026 and bars devices that contain chips from companies on the FCC’s national security Covered List. A finished product can now be refused approval even when a non-Chinese brand sells it, if a Huawei part sits inside.
La República, a Colombian business daily, carried the news on Friday 23 October 2026 in a report credited to El Economista of Mexico City. The FCC rule applies only to devices sold in the United States, so it does not change what is legal to sell in Latin America.
What the FCC Blocked and Why
The FCC named only the type of product, a dashboard camera and a wireless video transmitter, and no brand, maker or model number. DroneXL, a US trade outlet, reported that the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology stopped both devices before they won the approvals needed for sale.
The reason given is the chip. The FCC quoted HiSilicon’s own marketing, which describes the chip as designed for the surveillance market and says it includes human face detection algorithms.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said video devices that contain surveillance chips from companies on the national security list pose “an obvious and unacceptable risk” to the country and its people. La República reported that Huawei did not immediately answer its request for comment and that HiSilicon could not be reached.
The trade outlet TelecomLead noted that the announcement does not show that the dashboard camera sent data to Huawei or carried out unauthorized surveillance. DroneXL added that the order itself rests the ban on who produced the part, not on proof of misuse.
In Plain English
- —FCC The Federal Communications Commission, the US agency that must approve electronic devices before they can be sold.
- —Covered List The FCC list of companies it treats as national security risks; Huawei has been on it since March 2021.
- —HiSilicon A chip-design company owned by Huawei, the Chinese telecom and electronics group.
- —Smart Vision chip A processor sold for cameras, with built-in tools such as face detection.
- —Equipment authorization The FCC approval step; a device without it cannot legally be marketed in the US.
How the New Chip Rule Works
The FCC adopted the rule, formally its Third Report and Order (FCC 26-50), on 22 July 2026, and the Federal Register published it on 11 September 2026. It took effect on 13 October 2026.
The rule closes what the FCC calls a component-part loophole. It bars approval of any device that contains a logic-bearing hardware component made by a company on the Covered List, if the device would be barred had that company built it whole.
The FCC defines a logic-bearing component as a physical part that processes data using digital timing signals above 9,000 pulses per second, which covers chips and modules. Purely mechanical or passive parts such as housings, wiring and resistors are excluded.
The rule applies only to new approval applications, so equipment approved before 13 October keeps its approval. It also requires online marketplaces, with limited exceptions, to show a device’s FCC identification number at the point of sale.
Applications still pending on 13 October are exempt unless the maker later adds or changes a logic-bearing part. DroneXL concluded from this that both blocked filings were made or changed on or after that date.
Timeline
- —March 2021 Huawei joins the Covered List, which also covers its subsidiaries and affiliates.
- —22 July 2026 The FCC adopts its component rule, known as FCC 26-50.
- —11 September 2026 The Federal Register publishes the final rule.
- —13 October 2026 The rule takes effect.
- —22 October 2026 The FCC announces the first two blocked devices.
- —23 October 2026 La República of Bogotá reports the decision.
Why the FCC Targets Huawei Chips
The Covered List names Huawei, and a footnote says each named company includes its subsidiaries and affiliates, DroneXL reported. That is why the FCC treats chips made by HiSilicon, a Huawei subsidiary, as covered.
HiSilicon markets its Hi3516CV610 UHD Smart Vision chip for surveillance, and its documentation says the processor includes face detection algorithms, TelecomLead reported. TelecomLead noted that the FCC does not say whether that chip sits in both blocked devices.
The FCC’s stated reasoning is that a compromised logic-bearing component can enable interception, disruption, sabotage or unauthorized access, whoever assembles or brands the finished device. That reasoning is written into the rule itself, not only into the October announcement.
La República recalled that the FCC backed a measure in July to restrict devices that contain key hardware components from Chinese firms it considers national security risks. The Federal Register text shows the FCC adopted its component rule on 22 July 2026, and DroneXL described the October cases as its first enforcement.
What It Means for You
US sellers, importers and online marketplaces face a stricter check, because a Huawei-made chip inside a camera or video transmitter can now stop FCC approval. Shoppers are not told which brands were refused, since the agency named none.
In Colombia and the rest of Latin America, the FCC rule changes nothing for local buyers, because it governs what may be marketed in the United States. Latin American companies that export cameras or video gear to the US, or import parts for them, should check where their chips come from.
Our report Togo Signs Digital Deal With Huawei shows how the company is expanding abroad while Washington tightens its own rules. Colombia’s ties with Washington are covered in our guide Colombia Geopolitics Explained 2026.
What Is Not Known
The FCC’s own announcement could not be opened for this article, because the FCC website did not serve its pages to our research tools. The decision therefore rests on La República of Bogotá, the US outlets DroneXL, TelecomLead and Tom’s Hardware, and the Federal Register text of the rule itself.
The FCC has not named the makers, brands, models or FCC identification numbers of the two products. Huawei had not commented, and HiSilicon could not be reached, in the reports reviewed.
Tom’s Hardware reported that both devices contain the Hi3516CV610, while TelecomLead said the announcement does not say which chip is in which device. This article therefore treats the exact chip model as unconfirmed.
It is not known whether more devices are under review. It is also not known when the FCC will name the applicants.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the FCC ban on 22 October 2026?
It blocked a dashboard camera and a wireless video transmitter from sale in the US. Both contain chips made by HiSilicon, a Huawei subsidiary.
Why are Huawei chips a problem for the FCC?
Huawei is on the FCC’s Covered List of national security risks, and the list covers its subsidiaries. The FCC says a compromised chip can enable interception, disruption, sabotage or unauthorized access.
When did the new FCC chip rule start?
The FCC adopted it on 22 July 2026, and it took effect on 13 October 2026. It applies to new approval applications, not to equipment approved earlier.
Does the ban apply in Colombia or Latin America?
No, the FCC rule governs devices marketed in the United States. Latin American exporters selling such devices to the US must meet it.
Which brands were banned?
The FCC has not named the makers, brands or models. The reports reviewed give only the product types and the HiSilicon chips.
Sources: La República, 23 October 2026; DroneXL, 22 October 2026; TelecomLead, 22 October 2026; Tom’s Hardware, 23 October 2026; Federal Register, FCC final rule, 11 September 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief