The Federal Communications Commission added humanoid robots, quadruped robots, and networked power inverters to its Covered List on July 28, 2026, blocking new equipment authorizations for these device categories going forward. The move effectively halts new imports of foreign-made robots that mimic human or animal movement, along with grid-connected inverters used to link solar panels, batteries, and data centers to the electric grid.
The Covered List designation works through the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act. The FCC itself doesn't independently assess risk; it acted on a national security determination made by a White House-convened interagency body, which found that internet-connected robots could pose data privacy and cybersecurity risks. Once a device category lands on the list, it can no longer receive the FCC equipment authorization required for import or sale in the US. Existing owners and previously authorized models are unaffected, and going forward, manufacturers can apply for a conditional exemption through the Department of War for robots or the Department of Homeland Security for inverters, if a specific device is cleared as low risk.
While the order's language applies to devices of "any nationality," China supplies an estimated 85 percent of the global humanoid robot market, and firms like Unitree and UBTech are the ones actually affected. Security researchers had recently flagged a Bluetooth Low Energy exploit, nicknamed UniPwn, in some Unitree quadrupeds and humanoids, capable of spreading between nearby units without user interaction. No patch had been confirmed at the time of the FCC's action.
The ban follows a bipartisan Congressional push earlier this year, including the proposed GUARD Act, and sits alongside a separate NDAA provision barring the Pentagon from operating humanoid robots linked to China, Russia, or Iran. China's Foreign Ministry has objected, with spokesperson Mao Ning saying Beijing opposes what she called the US practice of using national security as a pretext to suppress Chinese companies, and vowing countermeasures to protect their interests.
