The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently announced that it will add all new models of foreign-made routers to its Covered List. Routers that have already been granted authorization won’t be affected. This ban will also apply to devices that were designed or developed in foreign countries.
Today, the FCC took additional action to safeguard Americans and the communications networks we rely on.
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) March 23, 2026
The FCC added consumer routers produced in foreign countries to the agency’s Covered List.
This action follows a national security determination provided by Executive Branch… pic.twitter.com/s3OoEo5NOV
The regulatory shift follows a White House determination that supply chain vulnerabilities in such routers could be exploited to gain access to private data, control Internet of Thought devices (e.g., surveillance cameras), and compromise critical infrastructure. This move is a major win for national security, given that a substantial amount of Americans’ personal information passes through these devices. Routers act as gateways to home networks. Still, there’s more work to be done.
TP-Link, a Chinese network hardware and smart home technology manufacturer, stands to be the company most significantly affected by the FCC’s decision. TP-Link holds a 65 percent share in the U.S. router market. Its market share continues to grow. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) subsidizes domestic technology companies to undercut non-Chinese brands.
China’s national security laws require all domestic technology companies to hand over sensitive information to government officials. This serves two purposes: To advance China’s military capabilities and to weaken the U.S. internally. As expected, serious consequences come with failing to comply with these laws.
Chinese and other foreign-made routers are also susceptible to CCP-linked hackers. The FCC’s announcement noted that in the Volt, Flax, and Salt Typhoon cyberattacks, state-sponsored hackers exploited the vulnerabilities in such routers to embed surveillance capabilities.
To put the threat into perspective, Volt, Flax, and Salt Typhoon remain active in our systems, targeting various utilities and undersea cables. It’s highly unlikely that these advanced persistent threat groups will be completely removed from our systems.
In 2024, Microsoft revealed that a network of compromised TP-Link routers, known as CovertNetwork-1658 or 7777 Botnet, had targeted government organizations, think tanks, non-governmental organizations, and defense companies in North America and Europe with a series of aggressive password spray attacks since 2021. This was carried out by a Chinese threat actor.
Most consumer-grade routers are manufactured overseas, primarily in China, Taiwan, Vietnam. Vendors will be able to request an exemption (Conditional Approval) from the Department of Homeland Security or the Department of War. This approach allows the federal government to balance security priorities with the need to sustain innovation and mitigate supply chain disruptions.
Netgear — a U.S.-based company that has shifted its production away from China to Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Vietnam in recent years — is set to benefit the most from this ban. On Tuesday morning, following the FCC’s announcement, Netgear’s (NTGR) shares surged 12 percent, which indicates that investors aren’t anticipating substantial impact to the company. A Netgear spokesperson welcomed the decision, saying the following:
As a US-founded and headquartered company with a legacy of American innovation, Netgear has long invested in security‑first design, transparent practices, and adherence to government regulations, and we will continue to do so.
Contrary to critics’ claims, the FCC’s router ban will strengthen American network security and resilience by eliminating backdoors in hardware. It’s long overdue. Perhaps router prices will rise in the near term, but national security is priceless. And national security is foundational to a country’s existence.
The administration’s Cyber Strategy aims to protect networks from adversaries, with an emphasis on AI-enabled tools to “detect, divert, and deceive” hackers. It marks a departure from a passive approach to one that integrates active deterrence and offensive operations, the private sector, and common-sense deregulation. Boosting the U.S.’s cybersecurity is also mentioned in the 2025 National Security Strategy.
Next, the FCC needs to consider adopting a rip-and-replace program for all TP-Link Systems Inc. products. While new models won’t be imported into the U.S. without approval, multiple federal agencies — including NASA, the Department of War, and the Drug Enforcement Administration — still use these Chinese devices.
Beyond the federal government, state and local agencies continue to use TP-Link routers, too. They face the same risk of CCP hacking and sabotage as federal agencies do. The federal government must work closely with state and local officials to address this risk and to educate them about cybersecurity threats.
Lastly, while the federal government rightly focuses on foreign-made devices, it should not overlook vulnerabilities in American technology. Our adversaries will try to infiltrate American society in any way possible.
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