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.
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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.