trade-press
GAO finds gaps in federal agencies' China-linked equipment searches
The Government Accountability Office reviewed six federal agencies' compliance with Section 899 of the FY2019 NDAA, which prohibits procurement of telecommunications and video surveillance equipment from China-linked companies. The May 19 report found that the Departments of Defense and Energy each identified covered devices in recent searches, while DHS, DOJ, State, and Treasury reported none. GAO flagged that each search method (IT network scans, procurement record reviews, physical searches) has limitations, and agencies reported difficulties including limited supply-chain visibility and lack of authoritative subsidiary data.