TP-Link is facing increased legal challenges in the US after Florida and three other states filed lawsuits alleging the company misled consumers about its ties to China and router security risks. The lawsuits, filed yesterday, follow an FCC ban on consumer-grade routers made wholly or partly outside the US, which has not exempted TP-Link despite exemptions granted to competitors like Netgear, Asus, Amazon’s Eero, and Starlink. TP-Link cannot sell its latest Wi-Fi 8 routers in the US, though pre-ban models remain available.
The states claim TP-Link deceived consumers by asserting router safety while Chinese state hackers exploited its devices. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said the lawsuits seek injunctions, restitution, and penalties, stating families should not be misled into handing data to the Chinese Communist Party. TP-Link, founded in China but headquartered in California since October 2024, denies the allegations, calling the lawsuits baseless and asserting its US-sold devices are made in Vietnam and that it is an independent US company not controlled by any foreign government.
Corporate affairs officer Steve Kovsky said the coordinated suits unfairly penalize an industry-leading US company and do nothing for national security.
Source: Ars Technica · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing