Texas is suing TP-Link over allegations that the Wi-Fi router maker has been misleading US consumers about the company’s ties to China.
On Tuesday, the state’s attorney general Ken Paxton announced the lawsuit, which involves ongoing security worries that TP-Link poses a spying threat because the company was originally founded in China.
TP-Link has been fending off the allegations by pointing to how the US brand spun off from its Chinese counterpart, starting back in 2022, to form TP-Link Systems in Irvine, California. The company has also been relying on a factory in Vietnam to assemble products for the US market.
However, Paxton’s lawsuit takes aim at how TP-Link has been placing “Made in Vietnam” stickers on the company’s products, even though “nearly all of the components found inside of TP-Link’s devices are imported from China.”
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“TP-Link omits material facts to deceive consumers into thinking it’s Vietnamese-assembled products are unaffiliated with China. The reality is that TP-Link continues to operate its supply-chain deep inside of China, with China’s support, and through Chinese exports,” the 34-page complaint alleges, pointing to a “web of deception.”
The lawsuit also accuses TP-Link of violating state law by engaging in “false, misleading, and deceptive trade practices.” As a result, Paxton is demanding the company pay up in fines, and be blocked from using the “Made in Vietnam” label. Instead, TP-Link should be forced to clearly indicate the Chinese origin of its products, the lawsuit says.
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In the announcement, Paxton also alleged that the Chinese government has been using TP-Link products and apps to access US user data. That said, the lawsuit stops short of pointing to a deliberate backdoor in the Wi-Fi routers. Rather, it argues the company’s products have allegedly left US customers exposed to hackers—including to Chinese state-sponsored actors— because of past software vulnerabilities.
“TP-Link’s devices are not the secure American devices that Texas consumers have consented to purchase. They are modern weapons of war, enabling a foreign adversary to surveil and attack the United States,” the lawsuit adds.
(Photo by Future Publishing via Getty Images)
While the complaint offers no new evidence of espionage, it does arrive days after the White House reportedly shelved a potential ban on TP-Link products to avoid antagonizing the Chinese government amid upcoming trade talks.
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Still, Paxton noted his office kicked off its investigation into TP-Link back in October. The lawsuit is also merely the “first of several” meant to crack down on companies affiliated with China. In the meantime, TP-Link plans on fighting the lawsuit. “The claims made by the Texas Attorney General’s office are without merit and will be proven false,” the company told PCMag.
“TP-Link Systems Inc. is an independent American company. Neither the Chinese government nor the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) exercises any form of ownership or control over TP-Link, its products, or its user data. TP-Link’s founder and CEO, Jeffrey Chao, resides in Irvine, CA, and is not and never has been a member of the CCP,” the vendor added.
“To ensure the highest level of security, our core operations and infrastructure are located entirely within the United States, and all US users’ networking data is stored securely on Amazon Web Services servers. We will continue to vigorously defend our reputation as a trusted provider of secure connectivity for American families,” TP-Link also said.
About Our Expert
Michael Kan
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Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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