The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed adding certain connected vehicle technologies to its list of equipment and services covered By Section 2 of the Secure Networks Act – an unprecedented step that, if implemented, could create compliance challenges for the automotive industry and manufacturers of connected vehicle equipment.

On May 23, the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) and Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) issued a Public Notice seeking comment on whether to revise the agency’s Covered List to include certain connected vehicle hardware and/or software provided by Chinese- or Russian-controlled entities. The Public Notice comes after the U.S. Department of Commerce’s (Commerce) Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) adopted a Final Rule restricting transactions involving such hardware and/or software because they pose “undue or unacceptable risks to national security and U.S. persons[.]”