What's New
U.S. authorities are investigating Amazon's most popular router and whether its Chinese ownership poses a national security risk.
Investigators at the Commerce, Defense and Justice departments have opened probes into TP-Link, a Chinese company that manufactures a popular home-internet router that's been linked to cyberattacks, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. It is possible U.S. officials could ban the sale of TP-Link routers as early as next year.
Newsweek reached out to TP-Link, the Justice Department and the Pentagon via email for comment.
Why It Matters
The company has roughly 65 percent of the U.S. market for routers for homes and small businesses. TP-Link is also used to power internet communications for federal government agencies, including the Defense Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and NASA.
TP-Link is also one of more than 300 internet providers whose routers are mailed out to U.S. homes that sign up for its services.
A ban on TP-Link routers would be the biggest extraction of Chinese telecom equipment from the U.S. since the first Trump administration imposed massive restrictions on Huawei Technologies. The administration halted shipments and banned them from a federal subsidy program after determining the company was a "national security threat."
What to Know
TP-Link routers are marked as "best sellers" on Amazon, like its AX3000 model, which was purchased more than 9,000 times in the past month.
An analysis from Microsoft published in October found that a network made up of thousands of TP-Link routers had been "compromised" by numerous Chinese actors that launched cyberattacks against think tanks, government organizations, nongovernment organizations and Defense Department suppliers.
TP-Link has tried to distance itself from China amid growing tensions between the U.S. and the Chinese. The company said in October that its headquarters would be relocated to California as part of an effort to "solidify its presence in the U.S. market."
TP-Link routers are drastically cheaper than its competitors, often by more than half the price, according to the Journal. The newspaper said the Justice Department is investigating whether those lower prices violate a federal law that prohibits companies from selling products for less than the cost of manufacturing to achieve a monopoly in the market.
What People Are Saying
A spokesperson for the U.S. business unit that sells TP-Links told the Journal: "We welcome any opportunities to engage with the U.S. government to demonstrate that our security practices are fully in line with industry security standards, and to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the U.S. market, U.S. consumers, and addressing U.S. national security risks."
Joel Thayer, president of the Digital Progress Institute, on Wednesday wrote on X (formerly Twitter): Investigating TP-Link is a must! Unbelievably, there are at least 150 million Chinese routers in our global networks; some may even be used by our own government. Pass the ROUTERS Act!
What's Next
Any action against TP-Link would likely fall to Donald Trump, who takes office on January 20. Having appointed China hawks to his Cabinet, the president-elect has signaled his administration will be aggressive toward Beijing.
English (US) ·