Lawmakers Raise Security Concerns About Chinese Router Firm TP-Link
The leaders of the House Select Committee on China urged the Commerce Department this week to investigate whether Chinese Wi-Fi router manufacturer TP-Link Technologies Co. Ltd. threatens U.S. national security.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
In a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Reps. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., the committee’s chairman and ranking member, respectively, said they’re concerned that because TP-Link routers are made in China with Chinese technology, Chinese state-sponsored hackers may be able to compromise the routers and infiltrate U.S. systems. They said the Chinese government has already sponsored hacking attempts in the U.S. using China-affiliated small office/home office (SOHO) routers like those made by TP-Link.
The lawmakers also said they're worried that TP-Link could be forced by Chinese intelligence officials under Chinese national security laws to hand over sensitive U.S. information.
"TP-Link’s unusual degree of vulnerabilities and required compliance with [Chinese] law are in and of themselves disconcerting," the lawmakers wrote. "When combined with the [Chinese] government’s common use of SOHO routers like TP-Link to perpetrate extensive cyberattacks in the United States, it becomes significantly alarming."
TP-Link is the world’s largest provider of Wi-Fi products, and its products account for a “substantial part” of the U.S. market for Wi-Fi routers and related devices, the letter says. The company's products are found on U.S. military bases, with the Army & Air Force Exchange and the Navy Exchange selling the devices to military personnel and their families.
A Commerce spokesperson said the department will respond to the letter "through the appropriate channels." TP-Link didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.