Tim Cheung (@TimCheung)

"The Federal Communications Commission voted on #Thursday 4-0 to finalize rules barring #Chinese #labs deemed risks to #US. #nationalsecurity from testing #electronic #devices such as #smartphones, #cameras and #computers for use in the #UnitedStates. All electronics used in the United States must go through the #FCC's #equipment authorization process before they can be imported. The FCC says about 75% of all #electronics are tested in labs located inside #China...The FCC said it had found that many currently recognized labs potentially have deep ties to the Chinese #Communist Party, including some connected to Chinese state-owned-enterprises or the Chinese #military. These labs have tested thousands of devices bound for the U.S. market over the last several years, the agency added. 'These labs provide a gateway into the U.S. #telecommunications #infrastructure', FCC Chair Brendan Carr said on Thursday. "It is not hard to imagine that an unreliable lab — one beholden to a foreign adversary — could sign off on insecure gear entering the U.S. market'...The order bans testing by labs in China subject to control or direction from companies on the FCC's 'Covered List' that deems specific communications equipment and services as a threat to U.S. national security. Under the rules, the FCC will withdraw its recognition of labs if it determines they are tied to a prohibited company. The agency is also seeking comment on a separate proposal to expand the testing prohibition to all labs in China and other #foreign #adversaries. The FCC also voted on Thursday to advance a proposal to require entities with significant ties to China or other foreign adversaries to disclose all #licenses and #authorizations from the FCC." https://www.facebook.com/ChinaCreepingAuthoritarianism/posts/pfbid0yBxdJgQvxVHSbic8aHaj85ufd9q1hsEJ7NNJNYJ9Jb7MfSChjU6tvEK55mjiVLRul