China Implements World's First Hardware-Layer AI Agent Identity Code Regulation
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has issued 'Notice on Strengthening the Network Access Management of Intelligent Agent Terminal Devices' (MIIT General Office Information Management [2026] No. 42). This new regulation, effective November 6, 2026, mandates that all terminal devices, including smartphones, tablets, and wearables, pre-installed with AI agents must undergo agent adaptation verification, fraud-related risk security assessment, and pre-emptive anti-fraud capability evaluation before receiving a network access license. Furthermore, AI agents on these devices must be equipped with a unique identity code, referencing national standards for agent interconnection. This marks the world's first regulatory framework to embed AI agent identity management directly into the hardware access approval process for devices, effectively creating a 'hardware checkpoint' for AI compliance.
