Chairman Carr Proposes to Strengthen Rules Governing Dangerous Gear 
Rules Seek to Close Covered List Loopholes and Modernize FCC Equipment Authorization 
   
WASHINGTON, July 1, 2026—Today, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr proposed new rules that would strengthen the FCC’s oversight of electronic devices and protect Americans against insecure gear.  While the FCC’s Covered List has long prohibited finished products produced by entities that pose a national security risk, this new decision would extend those prohibitions to component parts.  The decision would also require e-commerce platforms to display FCC IDs when marketing or selling FCC-certified devices.  In an accompanying Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM), proposed rules would seek comment on modernizing the FCC’s equipment authorization rules, particularly in light of recent developments involving the Covered List.

Chairman Carr issued the following statement:

“The FCC is always working to safeguard our country’s national security interest.  The FCC’s implementation of the Covered List—a product of congressional and executive branch national security expertise—plays a vital role in protecting Americans from insecure devices that could threaten national security and Americans’ safety.  This new decision represents an important step for the FCC to continue its efforts to protect America against dangerous equipment.”

Additional Background Information:

The Order circulated to the FCC Commissioners yesterday closes the component part loophole for covered equipment.  Currently, even if a device produced by a Covered List entity is prohibited from being authorized for the U.S. market, the same device produced by someone else but incorporating a Covered List entity-produced component part faces no restrictions.  This is true even if the device incorporates components that are technically capable of compromising the whole device.  The Commission first proposed closing this loophole in 2021, and we took an initial step last October when we addressed devices containing modular transmitters produced by Covered List entities.  Today, we close that loophole for all logic-bearing hardware components, omitting only “dumb” components like screws and nails.

The decision also bolsters oversight of the e-commerce platforms.  Last year, the Commission—working in close partnership with leading e-commerce platforms—launched Operation Clean Carts, an effort to rid these sites of unauthorized, potentially dangerous equipment.  This has resulted in over 4 million devices removed from platforms.  Today, Chairman Carr announced rules that would build on this effort.  The Order, if adopted by the full Commission at the July 22 Open Meeting, would clarify that e-commerce platforms must comply with FCC rules even if marketing or selling third party products and require e-commerce platforms to list FCC IDs for FCC-certified devices to permit greater consumer awareness of the devices they are purchasing and FCC oversight. 

The FNPRM proposes a wide range of measures to modernize FCC equipment authorization rules.  Recognizing that the Covered List has recently evolved to include equipment categorized by place-of-production, the proposed rules would bifurcate the Covered List into producer/provider-based entries and production location-based entries—notably Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS), UAS critical components, and consumer routers.  Among other proposals, the FNPRM would seek to expand supply chain disclosures for such equipment at the application stage, while also permitting certain modifications to ensure installed equipment continues to get software and hardware updates.  The FNPRM also proposes strengthening oversight of the self-attestation Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) process and closing loopholes in our importation and marketing rules. 

The public draft of the proposed Third Report and Order and Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will be available this afternoon at: https://www.fcc.gov/July2026. 

###

Media Contact: MediaRelations@fcc.gov / (202) 418-0500
@FCC / www.fcc.gov