Four US States Sue TP-Link Over Alleged Misleading Claims About Router Security
The attorneys general of Florida, Montana, Iowa and Nebraska have filed lawsuits accusing TP-Link of misleading consumers about its ties to China and the security of its routers. The company rejects the claims as based on false premises.
Router maker TP-Link is facing growing legal trouble in the United States, as four states have filed lawsuits alleging the company misled consumers about its connections to China and the risk that its devices could be exploited by Chinese state-backed hackers.
The suits come roughly six months after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced a sweeping ban on consumer routers made wholly or partly outside the US. Many manufacturers have won exemptions, including Netgear, Asus, Adtran, Amazon and its Eero unit, Calix, Nokia and SpaceX's Starlink division. The Trump administration has not yet granted one to TP-Link. As a result, the company currently cannot sell its newest Wi-Fi 8 routers in the US, although models approved before the ban may still be sold.
What the states allege
The states claim TP-Link misled American consumers by saying its routers are safe, and that this amounts to unfair and deceptive trade practices under state consumer protection laws. The suits were filed by Florida, Montana, Iowa and Nebraska, all led by Republican attorneys general.
Announcing Florida's lawsuit, filed in a Florida county court, Attorney General James Uthmeier said Chinese state-sponsored hackers had exploited TP-Link routers in American homes. He said the state is seeking an injunction, restitution for consumers and financial penalties.
TP-Link's response
TP-Link was founded in China but moved its headquarters to California in October 2024, amid investigations into attacks linked to the Chinese government, including a botnet made up mostly of TP-Link routers.
Steve Kovsky, the company's corporate affairs officer, called the coordinated lawsuits built on false premises, saying they do nothing to advance national security while unfairly penalizing a US company. TP-Link says it has spent recent months giving state regulators documentation showing that TP-Link Systems devices sold in the US are made in Vietnam, and that the company is an independent US firm not owned or controlled by any foreign government.
