The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) announced yesterday that it is examining whether the use of Russian and Chinese satellite systems by mobile phones and other devices in the United States poses a security threat
The FCC is raising concerns about the illegal reception and processing of GNSS signals by mobile devices in the United States, which originate from satellites under the control of competing countries, in violation of the commission's rules.
Also read: SpaceX launches 23 Starlink satellites from Florida
The FCC is seeking answers from device makers Apple (AAPL.O), Google (GOOGL.O), Motorola (MSI.N), Nokia (NOKIA.HE), Samsung (005930.KS) and others, which together account for more than 90% of the U.S. smartphone market.
“There is no documented record of potential security, the existence of their beacons, and the actions of mobile device manufacturers in the event of violations of the Commission’s rules,” an FCC spokesperson said.
Mike Gallagher, chairman of the House China Committee, expressed concern to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel this week about reports that U.S. cellphones were receiving and processing signals from Chinese and Russian satellites.
The FCC has only approved phones from the United States to receive and process signals from the American Global Navigation Satellite System (GPS), and only the European GNSS Galileo has been approved. Mike Gallagher reported that devices from the United States receive signals from China's BeiDou networks and Russia's GLONASS GNSS.
“Current events in Eastern Europe, including significant Russian interference and spoofing of GNSS signals, call into question the acceptability of this solution. They suggest that it is important for the FCC to enforce its rules against the use of unauthorized signals by foreign satellites,” said Mike Gallagher.
See also: NASA: Pace climate satellite launched to study atmosphere and oceans
In 2018, Jessica Rosenworcel raised concerns about the fact that phones in the US have a chip that allows them to operate via satellite navigation systems from other countries. According to her, in 2018, many devices in the United States are already able to work with foreign signals.
The FCC wants to examine “whether the devices comply with FCC rules and what vulnerabilities may exist in the way they process GNSS signals.”
Source: reuters.com
🔒 Protect your privacy with Proton VPN
Swiss VPN from the creators of Proton Mail — strict no-logs policy, strong encryption, and built-in NetShield that blocks ads, trackers, & malware.
- ✔ No-logs, based in Switzerland (except 14-Eyes)
- ✔ NetShield: blocks ads, trackers & malicious domains
- ✔ Covers all devices — free version available
The link is an affiliate link — SecNews may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. It does not affect the independence of our article writing.
