The Federal Communications Commission is taking strides to ban the import of foreign-made robots and humanoids, as well as power inverters, that it believes pose national security concerns.
According to the National Security Determination on advanced robotics, “Advanced robotic devices collect data that could be leveraged by malign actors to surveil Americans, enhance the capabilities of foreign intelligence services, or to remotely commandeer the robots.”
“Many advanced robotic devices also have high fidelity sensors, including LiDAR, electrooptical/infrared, acoustic, and thermal, allowing the advanced robotic device to create datasets that have value for foreign intelligence services, including high-fidelity maps of the environment in which the robot operates,” the document adds. “When advanced robotic devices and their critical components are sourced from foreign countries, U.S. stakeholders have limited visibility into the development practices and software provenance of device.”
According to the National Security Determination on power inverters, “Inverters’ remote connectivity introduces additional vulnerabilities which compound as inverter-based resources proliferate on the U.S. grid.”
“I welcome these Executive Branch national security determinations, and I am pleased that the FCC has now added foreign-produced advanced robotics and power inverters to the FCC’s Covered List,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said. “Following President Trump’s leadership, the FCC will continue to do our part to secure America’s critical supply chains and, with today’s action, the FCC is acting in lock step with our national security agencies to do just that.”
The FCC assured Americans that the security warning only affects new foreign-produced devices and does not affect those that have been previously purchased by consumers.
