FCC Halts Sales of Two Devices Citing Hidden Huawei AI Processor

The Federal Communications Commission has stopped the sale and marketing of two consumer products in the United States. The agency invoked a recently adopted rule that allows it to regulate devices based on their internal components rather than their brand names. This action marks the first time the FCC has banned specific gadgets under this chip-level framework.

The banned products are a dashboard camera and a wireless video transmitter. Both devices contain a system on a chip manufactured by HiSilicon, a subsidiary of Huawei. Huawei and its subsidiaries are listed on the FCC's Covered List of entities that pose a risk to US national security. By targeting the silicon directly, the agency can block rebranded products that incorporate parts from restricted Chinese manufacturers.

The specific component is the Hi3516CV610 UHD Smart Vision processor. This chip is designed for surveillance and camera systems, including vehicle dashcams and wireless CCTV units. It integrates WiFi, Ethernet, video encoding hardware, and an Arm Cortex-A7 processor. It also includes a neural processing unit for artificial intelligence tasks.

The neural processing unit is the primary concern for the FCC. The agency classifies it as a logic-bearing smart component made by an entity on the Covered List. The chip's data sheet describes an Intelligent Video Engine that runs on this unit. It uses a built-in multimodal large model and transformer feature acceleration to track relationships between objects across video frames.

The data sheet lists pets, faces, human figures, and parcels as subjects the system can track. This capability allows the camera to distinguish between a pet and a person interacting with a package. The FCC argues that this same logic-bearing AI could be used for more sensitive purposes, such as surveying US citizens and logging facial data for foreign surveillance.

Huawei has a history of chip-related controversies in the United States. The company previously used shell companies to convince TSMC to manufacture AI chips despite US requests to halt supply. This recent action adds to a series of product bans linked to Huawei. The FCC's authority extends to both wired and wireless communications under the Communications Act of 1934.

The rule aims to close a loophole where rebranded products with restricted parts continued to reach the market. By focusing on the silicon, the ban applies to the component regardless of the product's label or regional variant. The two devices are now blocked from sale and marketing in the US until the issue is resolved.