TP-Link Router Ban: Four States Sue Over China Ties

The TP-Link router ban in the U.S. is becoming harder for the company to escape. This week, four states filed lawsuits against the router-maker. Iowa, Florida, Montana, and Nebraska all accuse TP-Link of misleading customers about how closely its business connects to China.

What the Four States Claim

The lawsuits follow a similar pattern. Each one argues that TP-Link has not been honest about how safe its routers are for everyday users. According to the states, this amounts to deceptive trade practices under their consumer protection laws. Ars Technica reported the filings first.

The complaints also point to past events. The U.S. government has previously said that Russian intelligence exploited weaknesses in TP-Link devices. Nebraska goes a step further. Its lawsuit alleges that TP-Link still has ties to a Chinese military contractor.

Where TP-Link Says Its Routers Come From

TP-Link tells a very different story. The company says it has moved all of its operations out of China. It relocated its U.S. business to California in 2024, and it says every component in its U.S.-sold routers is now made in Vietnam.

TP-Link has also stated many times that it never hands customer data to foreign governments.

Why Regulators Still Have Doubts

Regulators do not seem convinced. A Bloomberg report gave them reason for skepticism. It found that parts bought in Vietnam made up only 0.5 percent of the total input value at the plant there. Every other component came from China.

If that finding holds, the split from China looks much thinner than TP-Link claims.

How TP-Link Responded to the Lawsuits

TP-Link rejected the lawsuits quickly. Steve Kovsky, the company’s corporate affairs officer, said the coordinated cases rest on false premises. He added that regulators already have clear, verifiable documentation of two key facts.

First, TP-Link Systems devices sold in the U.S. are made in Vietnam. Second, TP-Link Systems is an independent American company, and no foreign government owns or controls it.

What the FCC Router Ban Means for Buyers

The legal fight sits on top of a much bigger problem. In March, the FCC banned the sale of nearly all new routers made outside the U.S. Asus, Adtran, Netgear, Amazon, Calix, Nokia, and Starlink all received exemptions.

TP-Link did not. The company met with the FCC in April to request one, but the meeting went nowhere. Now TP-Link says it is following the FCC’s standard approval process for new products, like other router makers.

For shoppers, the practical result is simple. Routers produced before the ban can still be sold in the U.S., so existing stock remains available. New TP-Link models, however, probably will not arrive soon.