● Covered by 2 sources · 2 reportsMedium impact2 negative
Florida and Three Other States Sue TP-Link Over Router Security and China Ties
Key points
- Florida, Montana, Iowa, and Nebraska filed lawsuits against TP-Link.
- Lawsuits allege TP-Link misrepresented router security and ties to China.
- Claims include exploitation of routers by Chinese state-sponsored hackers.
- The FCC banned consumer-grade routers produced outside the US, affecting TP-Link.
- TP-Link cannot sell its latest Wi-Fi 8 routers in the US due to the ban.
Multi-State Legal Action Against TP-Link
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a lawsuit against TP-Link, alleging the company lied about the safety of its routers and its connections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This legal action is part of a broader effort, as Montana, Iowa, and Nebraska have also filed similar lawsuits against TP-Link.
The lawsuits claim that TP-Link misled US consumers by stating its routers are safe and that it engaged in unfair and deceptive trade acts, violating state consumer protection laws. Florida AG Uthmeier stated that "Chinese state-sponsored hackers exploited TP-Link routers sitting in American living rooms."
Allegations of Misrepresentation
The states' lawsuits allege that many TP-Link router models cannot update automatically, and the company has ceased supporting them. Furthermore, the lawsuits claim TP-Link falsely stated it had separated from China and manufactured products in Vietnam, with less than 1% of parts in the Vietnam plant originating from Vietnam. TP-Link also claims to have separated from a company with Chinese ties, which the Pentagon designated as an arm of the Chinese military.
The federal government initiated investigations into TP-Link in 2024, with the Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, and Department of Justice opening inquiries. The DOJ specifically investigated whether the company engaged in unfair practices.
FCC Ban on Routers
These state lawsuits follow a US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ban on consumer-grade routers produced wholly or partly outside of the US, announced approximately six months prior. This ban has prevented TP-Link from selling its latest Wi-Fi 8 routers in the US, although models approved before the ban can still be sold.
While numerous router manufacturers, including Netgear, Asus, Adtran, Amazon (and its Eero subsidiary), Calix, Nokia, and SpaceX’s Starlink division, have received exemptions to this ban, TP-Link has not been granted one by the Trump administration.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
The daily brief
One email each morning: the day's tech stories, clustered across outlets and summarized. No account needed.
One email a day. Unsubscribe in one click, any time.
Today's brief
Spend a few minutes, get the whole day. Every topic's top stories in one hands-free rundown — listen, watch, or read the transcript.
▶ Play today's brief
New every morning, and the back catalogue is archived by date.
How outlets covered it
Florida, Montana, Iowa, and Nebraska have filed lawsuits against TP-Link, alleging the company misled consumers about its connections to China and the security risks of its routers. These lawsuits follow a US FCC ban on consumer-grade routers produced outside the US, which has prevented TP-Link from selling its latest Wi-Fi 8 routers in the US.
Florida's Attorney General has filed a lawsuit against TP-Link, alleging the company misrepresented the security of its routers and its connections to the Chinese Communist Party. This legal action follows similar lawsuits from other states and federal investigations into TP-Link's practices and national security implications.