Your Wi-Fi Router Was Probably Made in China. Does That Mean It's a National Security Threat?

President Joe Biden signed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act into law in 2024. Citing potential national security concerns, the law required the social media app TikTok to either separate from its Chinese parent company or cease operations in the United States. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on the first day of his second term delaying implementation of the law. But his administration is still wielding government power to shield Americans from China—whether we like it or not.

The Washington Post reports that several federal agencies, led by the Department of Commerce, intend to ban the sale of TP-Link wireless routers. Users routinely praise these popular routers, but since the company was founded in China, regulators have raised concerns that the Chinese government could access Americans' sensitive data or build weaknesses into the devices that make them easier for hackers to access.