It’s official, Chinese technologies are no longer welcome in the land of Uncle Sam. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the American technology regulator, banned the sale of new equipment from several Chinese companies on Friday, November 25 . These devices would weigh “an unacceptable risk“on the national security of the United States, according to the FCC relayed by the agency AP.
Key sectors targeted
The agency’s five members said Friday they voted unanimously for the measure. The ordinance provides for the pure and simple prohibition of the marketing of new equipment from half a dozen Chinese companies. Products already authorized by the FCC may continue to be sold, but no new authorizations will be issued. However, the American regulator reserves the right to revoke the licenses already granted.
Huawei, ZTE, Dahua, Hikvision and Hytera are notably on the list drawn up by Washington. The targeted companies mainly market technologies intended for the telecommunications or video surveillance industry. Key sectors across the Atlantic.
“The FCC is committed to protecting our national security by ensuring that unreliable communications equipment is not permitted to be used within our borders, and we are continuing that work with this new measure.“, said the President of the Commission, Jessica Rosenworcel. This decision “historical“was taken on the”basis for national security concerns“, assures Brendan Carr, one of the commissioners of the FCC on Twitter.
In the wake of Trumpist measures
The FCC order is, in fact, in line with the anti-China policy pursued by the Trump administration in the field of technology. This news comes after the appearance, in March 2021, of five Chinese companies on the blacklist of companies accused of posing a threat to the security of Americans. Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision and Dahua had thus been targeted.
Hikvision, a Chinese company specializing in video surveillance equipment, was quick to react to these new measures. This decision will have no impact on the “American national security” but might turn out”harmful” and “expensive” for “small businesses […] local authorities, school districts and consumers“, assures the company quoted by the BBC.
The day before, the British authorities also decided to ban CCTV cameras from several Chinese brands from sensitive sites, claiming to fear a data leak to the Middle Kingdom.