Updated

On October 13, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's agency granted itself new power to block gadgets containing computer chips made by companies on its list of potential national security threats, and on October 22 exercised that power for the first time by blocking two gadgets for containing "foreign surveillance chips," according to The Verge. The agency did not specify which gadgets were blocked or immediately respond to requests for comment on the specific surveillance chips involved. The action represents a significant expansion of FCC authority to regulate hardware based on component sourcing decisions. The move reflects escalating national security concerns about foreign-manufactured components but also raises questions about transparency and due process in the blocking determinations. The lack of detail about which products or chips triggered the blocks complicates assessment of whether decisions reflect legitimate security threats or geopolitical posturing.