FCC blocks dashcam and video transmitter over Huawei-linked chip

The Federal Communications Commission has prohibited two consumer electronics products from being sold or marketed in the United States. This action marks the first time the agency has used a new rule to ban devices based specifically on the silicon chips contained within them, rather than the product's brand or model name.

The banned items are a dashboard camera and a wireless video transmitter. Both devices were blocked because they utilize a HiSilicon Smart Vision system on a chip. HiSilicon operates as a subsidiary of Huawei, a company that appears on the FCC's Covered List of entities deemed a risk to US national security. The new regulatory approach aims to close a gap where rebranded goods containing components from restricted Chinese manufacturers could continue to reach the market. By targeting the silicon directly, the ban applies to the hardware itself rather than following specific product labels.

The specific chip in question is the Hi3516CV610 UHD Smart Vision processor. It is designed for surveillance and camera products, including vehicle dashcams and wireless CCTV systems. The chip integrates WiFi, Ethernet, video encoding hardware, an Arm Cortex-A7 processor, and a neural processing unit for artificial intelligence functions. The FCC focused on the NPU, describing it as a device containing logic-bearing smart components made by entities on the Covered List.

Technical specifications for the chip indicate its Intelligent Video Engine operates on the NPU. It uses a built-in dedicated multimodal large model and transformer feature acceleration. This setup allows the AI to track relationships between objects across video frames. The data sheet notes the system maintains attention on subjects such as pets, faces, human figures, and parcels. For everyday users, this function could help distinguish between a pet leaving a yard and an unknown person taking a delivery package. However, the FCC contends the same logic-bearing AI could be used for more intrusive purposes, such as surveying US citizens and logging faces for foreign surveillance.

Huawei has a history of involvement in chip-related disputes. The company previously used shell companies to persuade TSMC to manufacture AI chips for it, despite US requests for TSMC to halt supply to certain Chinese customers. That incident is one of several controversies involving Huawei that have led to product bans in the United States.

Reactions to the ban have been divided. Some observers criticized the move as protectionist or questioned if American surveillance differs from foreign surveillance. Other commenters asked if the FCC's authority covers only wireless devices. A respondent noted that the Communications Act of 1934 directs the FCC to protect both wired and wireless interstate and international communications. One argument suggested that bans should have been based on silicon from the start due to the high number of revisions and regional variants a single product can have.