US May Ban a Popular Home Router

One of the most popular home routers sold in the US might get banned by the Commerce Department. As the Washington Post reports, a number of federal agencies have backed the idea of prohibiting future sales of TP-Link routers, citing national security concerns because of the company's perceived ties to China. The routers are made by TP-Link Systems of Irvine, California, which is a spinoff of TP-Link Technologies, based in China.

TP-Link Systems, which owns some of the parent company's assets in China, insists it operates independently. "Any adverse action against TP-Link would have no impact on China, but would harm an American company," says a spokesperson. The company says that only its US engineers can update American routers and that it has sought government guidance on addressing concerns, but received no response. PC Mag says it continues to recommend the routers because no evidence has surfaced that the devices might be spying on people.

TP-Link accounts for more than a third of the US market, and a ban would be one of the biggest in consumer history, notes the Post. The Commerce Department initially proposed the ban, and the idea has since been supported by the homeland security, justice, and defense departments, among others. Commerce officials will have the final say.