The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on October 10 (Washington time) launched "Operation Clean Carts,” a sweeping enforcement campaign that has removed millions of prohibited Chinese-made electronic devices from major U.S. online retailers.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the initiative targets equipment posing unacceptable national security risks under the federal Covered List—including products from Huawei, ZTE, Dahua, and Hikvision.

"The Communist Party of China has engaged in a multi-prong effort to insert insecure gear into Americans' homes and businesses,” Carr stated. "This Covered List equipment poses an unacceptable risk to our country's national security and to the safety and security of Americans. I'm pleased that e-commerce sites quickly responded to the FCC's efforts to shut down the illegal sale of these unlawful devices.”

According to the FCC, millions of listings—including smart watches and home security cameras—were removed after being identified as either unauthorized or explicitly banned. E-commerce platforms have pledged to strengthen screening mechanisms and manual controls to detect prohibited devices, while the FCC said it will continue to monitor compliance closely.

The action marks an escalation in Washington's broader crackdown on Chinese electronics. The banned devices either appear on the FCC's Covered List or lack proper FCC authorization. Affected products include home surveillance cameras and smart wearables made by Huawei, Hikvision, Dahua Technology, ZTE, and affiliates of China Mobile, China Telecom, and Hytera.

Although Hikvision and Dahua have largely withdrawn from the U.S. market—each stating that American sales now represent less than 3% of overseas revenue—some listings continued to surface through third-party sellers exploiting brand keywords or skipping certification procedures.

The FCC's campaign extends beyond delisting actions. Carr revealed that the Commission will hold a vote on October 28 to expand existing restrictions. If approved, any future device containing components sourced from blacklisted entities would be denied FCC certification. Even previously authorized products could face revocation, effectively banning their use in the U.S.

Industry analysts warn the policy could have global ripple effects, as Chinese suppliers such as Hikvision and Dahua remain deeply embedded in security supply chains worldwide, providing chips, components, and algorithms used by overseas brands including Swann (Australia), Night Owl, Amcrest, LTS (U.S.), and Lorex (Canada).

The campaign also coincides with a sharp escalation in U.S.-China trade tensions. Former President Donald Trump recently announced 100% tariffs on Chinese goods effective November 1, alongside new export controls targeting critical software technologies, following Beijing's tightening of rare earth export rules.

Further intensifying scrutiny, on October 15, Carr announced that the FCC had initiated proceedings to revoke the authorization of Hong Kong Telecom (HKT) to connect to U.S. telecom networks, citing national security concerns. HKT is affiliated with China Unicom, which is already on the FCC's Covered List for its links to the Chinese government.

Together, these measures underscore Washington's accelerating efforts to decouple U.S. digital infrastructure from Chinese technology suppliers amid mounting geopolitical and security concerns.