The GOP-led FCC is investigating a Biden-era initiative to award smart home devices a “US Cyber Trust Mark,” which is basically the cybersecurity equivalent of the EnergyStar labels. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr says he’s concerned that the company contracted to manage the Cyber Trust Mark testing process has “potentially concerning ties to the government of China.”
Insecure Internet of Things (IoT) devices—like home security cameras, TVs, and baby monitors—can pose major cybersecurity risks. For example, hackers can infiltrate a company’s printer or security camera as a backdoor to get access to its data.
So, in mid-2023, the Biden administration announced the voluntary US Cyber Trust Mark (USCTM) program, which lets device makers advertise that their products comply with security criteria developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The program, which is run by the FCC, was finalized and went into effect in January, just before President Trump returned to office.
Now, with Carr at the helm of the FCC, the agency is concerned the program could pose national security risks, according to a document seen by Fox News. US-based company UL Solutions manages the Cyber Trust Mark testing process, but the FCC alleges that UL maintains “deep ties to China.” This reportedly includes a joint venture with the China National Import and Export Commodities Inspection Corp., which will “be excluded from the FCC’s equipment authorization program” under newly adopted rules, Fox says.
“At present, Chinese IoT products, or products using Chinese IoT modules, can get the USCTM label as easily as American products,” the document says.
UL Solutions also runs 18 China-based testing locations, three of which have “particularly alarming” locations, the document says. (In April, Carr moved to ban China-based labs from the US electronics testing process.)
Carr confirmed the investigation on X. “I can confirm that I have directed the FCC’s Council on National Security to review a Biden-era cybersecurity program due to potentially concerning ties to the government of China,” he wrote. “The FCC will remain vigilant when it comes to safeguarding our communications networks.”
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“We cannot comment on the specific details of this US government program,” a spokesperson at UL Solutions told Fox News. “As a leading American safety science company with operations around the globe and roots that go back more than 130 years, UL Solutions takes cybersecurity very seriously and has always operated with transparency and integrity.”
Earlier this month, a series of Trump executive orders included measures that could eventually mean fewer Chinese-made drones (like those from DJI) in American skies. Meanwhile, Wi-Fi router maker TP-Link has recently come under fire from a group of Republican lawmakers for its alleged China links. TP-Link calls it a “smear campaign.”
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About Will McCurdy
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