TP-Link routers may be banned in the US

The US government is considering banning routers from the Chinese company TP-Link over national security concerns. This is due to the company’s potential links to Chinese cyberattacks and insufficient patching of vulnerabilities in its products. TP-Link has about 65% of the market for home and small business routers in the US. Its devices are used not only by ISPs, but also by federal government agencies, including the Department of Defense.

Key points

• Cyberattack allegations: In October, Microsoft revealed that TP-Link devices were used in a hacking campaign linked to the Chinese government.
• Pricing investigation: The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether TP-Link is selling its products below cost, which could violate competition laws.
• Insufficient security updates The company does not always promptly fix vulnerabilities, which increases the risk of cyber threats.

TP-Link’s response

The company says it is actively working to fix the vulnerabilities and is willing to cooperate with the U.S. government on security.

If the TP-Link ban is implemented, it could be the largest case of Chinese telecommunications equipment being removed from the US market since the Huawei ban in 2019. Such a move would significantly impact the US telecommunications market, especially given TP-Link’s dominance in this segment due to its low product prices.