After facing intense scrutiny from several agencies for more than a year, the U.S. government is considering banning TP-Link routers outright, courtesy of a proposal from the Department of Commerce, backed by the Justice Department, Department of Defense, Homeland Security, and more. According to the Washington Post, the White House is concerned about national security due to TP-Link's close ties to China, a claim the company fervently denies in its statement, reiterating it will continue business operations as usual. It's also prepared to legally challenge any unfair treatment if the government goes through with the ban.
TP-Link controls roughly 65% of the U.S. router market, offering networking gear at lower prices than its competitors, especially in budget segments — something it's already under investigation for by the Department of Justice. Moreover, the Department of Commerce had been looking into TP-Link since last year, when it first flagged the company for ties to China, a concern exacerbated by the Salt Tycoon attacks on telecom providers in December 2024. Three months from that, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi said, "don't use this" while holding up a TP-Link router in front of Congress.
