If you planned to buy a Chinese robot in the US, we've got bad news

The Federal Communications Commission announced a ban on the sale of foreign-made robots and certain inverters in the United States citing national security risks. The agency said in a press release that such products pose unacceptable risks to national security or the safety and security of United States persons. The move covers humanoid robots and quadrupeds including models from Chinese brand Unitree. A housekeeping robot from Korean tech giant LG likely will not be available in the US either. The FCC said these robots have networked capabilities that can create extensive vulnerabilities and vectors for attacks that can manipulate the data and physical operation of the advanced robotic system. Foreign-made inverters controllable via Wi-Fi cellular service or Bluetooth are also banned. The agency said these products' remote connectivity systems could allow them to be exploited turned off facilitate surveillance or be used to collect and beam data back to foreign government actors. Products already sold will not be affected and the Department of War and Department of Homeland Security may purchase products necessary for their operations. The FCC has expanded the list of prohibited equipment which already includes Huawei phones and wearables Hikvision security cameras DJI drones and routers from a range of manufacturers. Companies with a presence in the country can apply for approval to continue selling devices though Huawei and ZTE have remained unavailable since 2022 bans. Domestic companies such as 1X and Figure are developing robots for industrial and home use with products nearing availability.