Major online retailers have removed millions of product listings linked to Chinese technology firms after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) warned the equipment poses a threat and danger to U.S. consumers and national security.
The online products being taken down highlight the initial success of the FCC’s new enforcement initiative called “Operation Clean Carts,”
according to the FCC.
The operation aims to stop the illegal online sale of prohibited electronics manufactured by Chinese firms that appear on the FCC’s Covered List, which prohibits their equipment from entering U.S. markets due to security risks.
“Federal law prohibits the sale or marketing of certain electronic equipment—including certain devices produced by Chinese entities like Huawei, ZTE, Dahua, and Hikvision,” the FCC said in an Oct. 10 statement. “Nonetheless, many online retailers and e-commerce sites have continued to sell, or allowed third-parties to sell, those devices.”
After months of negotiations with major platforms, the FCC said e-commerce sites had removed “several million listings for covered equipment, such as certain Huawei smart watches and Dahua home security cameras,” and pledged to improve monitoring systems to prevent these items from resurfacing online.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said he was “pleased that e-commerce sites quickly responded to the FCC’s efforts to shut down the illegal, online sale of these unlawful devices. Millions of listings for these devices have now been removed.”
In a
post on X supporting the FCC statement, Carr wrote: “The Communist Party of China is engaged in a multi-prong effort to insert insecure devices into Americans’ homes & businesses. Today, I am announcing the initial success of ‘Operation Clean Carts.’ This new FCC effort has resulted in millions of listings for prohibited Covered List devices—including certain Huawei and ZTE gear—being removed from leading e-commerce and online retailers.”
On
Oct. 10, the FCC also issued a National Security Advisory to raise awareness of equipment and services on the Covered List that pose major risks to U.S. consumers. “Most of these entities are closely tied to foreign adversaries, like China, and can allow the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] to surveil Americans, disrupt communications networks, & otherwise threaten U.S. national security,” warned Carr.
Although Carr said that he expects every online retailer to follow the federal ban on marketing and selling insecure devices from the Covered List, he recommended that anyone planning to purchase devices, such as security cameras, review the most recent Covered List in advance to see whether the item or manufacturer is on it. Online platforms are also implementing measures to detect and remove prohibited products from their websites.
Chinese Tech Import Curbs Widen
The action follows years of U.S. efforts to curb Chinese technology imports. The FCC has previously banned several Chinese telecom firms from providing service in the United States and plans to vote
later this month on tightening restrictions on Chinese telecom equipment.
In September,
Nebraska’s attorney general sued Lorex, a home-security camera and baby monitor brand sold at Costco and other retailers, alleging it misled consumers about device privacy. The suit claimed that Lorex concealed its reliance on the Chinese manufacturer Dahua, a company blacklisted for national security and human rights risks. The ties to the CCP create vulnerabilities that could allow hackers or the Chinese regime to access video and audio feeds from U.S. consumers' home security cameras.
Earlier this month, the U.S. also added
15 Chinese companies to its restricted trade list for facilitating the purchase of American electronic components found in drones operated by Iranian proxies, including Houthis and Hamas terrorists. Ten firms were cited for supplying components used in weaponized unmanned aircraft systems, and five more were added after debris from Hamas-operated drones recovered by Israeli forces contained U.S.-made electronics.
