The Federal Communications Commission announced Wednesday that it is investigating Amazon and other retailers for allegedly marketing and selling illegal electronic devices, including radio frequency jamming devices.
The FCC does not necessarily disclose ongoing investigations. The report to NBC News comes after news outlets reported that some retailers and drone technology companies are selling jammers online, despite the FCC warning that the jammers are illegal. He did so in a statement.
FCC spokesman Jonathan Uriarte said in a statement: “We have filed multiple lawsuits against retailers, including Amazon, for potential violations of Commission rules related to the marketing and sale of devices without proper FCC authorization. We are continuing our investigation.” He said he had no further details to share immediately.
NBC News reported early Wednesday that various companies are selling signal jammers online. These include a third-party seller on Amazon, another online store based in China, and a small domestic company specializing in drone-related equipment.
Amazon did not immediately respond Wednesday to a request for comment on the FCC's statement regarding the investigation.
Jammers have a variety of potential uses, including keeping unwanted drones away, disabling surveillance cameras, and blocking Wi-Fi networks.
But the FCC and outside experts say it could also disrupt critical infrastructure such as emergency communications, regular phone use and airport navigation systems. The FCC states that manufacturing, importing, selling, or offering to sell jamming devices is a violation of the Communications Act of 1934. Even local police are not allowed to use it.
NBC News recently discovered nine independent sellers selling “jammer” devices on Amazon. Within two days of NBC News contacting the Seattle-based retailer, all nine product listings disappeared from Amazon. Amazon confirmed in an email earlier this month that its policies prohibit jamming devices and that it continually monitors its marketplace to prevent third-party sellers from listing prohibited products. Stated.
Amazon has not explained how the nine sellers were able to evade its oversight.
