Federal Agencies May Move to Ban These Popular Wifi Routers

The security of a popular wifi router brand is under scrutiny from multiple federal agencies, and devices could be pulled from shelves in the United States in the future. According to reporting from the Washington Post, the US Department of Commerce has proposed a ban on routers from TP-Link Systems, a move that has now received support from Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, and Defense.

What is the issue with TP-Link?

The proposal reportedly stems from security concerns with routers sold by TP-Link Systems, which is in California but was spun off from the Chinese-based TP-Link Technologies. Commerce officials have warned that the devices handle sensitive data and may be subject to influence by the Chinese government.

For example, there is concern that TP-Link is required to provide information to Chinese intelligence agencies and central government, which could in turn force software updates that compromise user data. (It is important to note that U.S.-based TP-Link Systems disputes this and says that only U.S. engineers can push patches to devices owned by U.S. customers.)

The interagency review of TP-Link actually began during the Biden administration—and this isn't the first action the federal government has taken against tech companies that have foreign ties. In June 2024, the Commerce Department banned sales of antivirus software from Russia's Kaspersky Lab to U.S. consumers.

Is my TP-Link router affected?

Again, the proposal under consideration could ban future sales of TP-Link Systems routers to U.S. users. Existing devices from TP-Link have been targeted by threat actors and been subject to zero-day vulnerabilities, including a flaw that allowed full takeover.

Of course, most internet-connected devices are vulnerable to hackers, and while some security experts express caution when it comes to TP-Link, there isn't unilateral support for tossing your router ASAP. Instead, you should continue to follow security best practices to protect your home network, such as changing default login credentials, enabling protective features like a firewall and encryption, and keeping your device's firmware up to date. If you do need to purchase a new router—if you stop renting from your internet service provider, for example—you might consider a different brand.

Some estimates suggest that TP-Link's home routers make up as much as half of the market in the U.S. (though others put the numbers much lower). Many of those devices are sold or leased through ISPs.

View the full article