The US bans all new foreign-made network routers
The FCC has banned the import of new consumer routers manufactured overseas, citing cybersecurity risks posed specifically by Chinese state-backed hacking groups Volt, Salt, and Flax Typhoon — the latter having compromised over 126,000 devices in the US alone. The move carries significant market implications given that China accounts for roughly 60% of the consumer router market, and affects not only Chinese manufacturers like TP-Link but also American brands like Netgear, Eero, and Google Nest, all of which produce hardware in Asia. Notably, the FCC provided no evidence that US-made routers are more secure, and FCC chairman Brendan Carr — who championed the ban — voted just months ago to scrap cybersecurity rules requiring telecoms to secure their systems from unauthorized intrusions.