Again, using the so-called "security risks" to hype up the issue, U.S. lawmakers introduce a bill to try to ban Chinese robots.

According to a report by the U.S. “The Hill” on the 26th, two U.S. senators introduced a bill aimed at banning the federal government from procuring or using robots and related equipment manufactured by Chinese companies.

Republican Conference Chair Tom Cotton and the Senate Minority Leader, Democrat Chuck Schumer, unveiled the “American Secure Robot Technology Act.” Its core provisions clearly prohibit the federal government from procuring or using “ground unmanned vehicles” manufactured by companies in China and other adversary countries, covering devices such as humanoid robots and remote surveillance robots, among others. The proposal also strictly forbids federal funds from being used for projects related to such robots.

The bill includes an exemption clause that allows the U.S. military and law enforcement agencies to conduct relevant research on Chinese-made robots, provided that these robots do not send or receive data to or from China. The two U.S. senators also raised the pretext of “national security risk,” claiming that Chinese robots may contain security backdoors—potentially being used to collect U.S.-related data and transmit it back to China, and also posing the risk of being remotely hijacked.

This move is the latest step by the United States to limit Chinese technology products. Earlier this week, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission had added imported consumer-grade routers to a controlled list. Last month, the U.S. Department of Defense also placed several technology firms, including Chinese robot companies, on a blacklist on the grounds that they are “involved in the military.” (Global Network)