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More than half a dozen US federal departments and agencies have cited national security concerns to support a proposal to implement a complete ban on future sales of TP-Link networking equipment in the country, According to a report by The Washington Post, the inter-agency risk assessment concluded that TP-Link’s US-based entity could still be subject to Chinese government influence due to its established ties to the China-based TP-Link Technologies. The federal departments supporting the ban include the United States Department of Commerce, the United States Department of Defence, and the United States Department of Homeland Security.

What US federal agencies said about TP Link

The report claims that a recent inter-agency risk assessment found that the Chinese government may still be influencing TP-Link’s US entity due to its historical connections with China-based TP-Link Technologies. The company currently holds a significant share of the US home router market, with estimates ranging from 50% to 65%. The government has not yet announced an official ban, but if it proceeds, TP-Link would be given a 30-day notice and a chance to respond, as per existing regulations.The Commerce Department must now decide whether to impose a complete sales ban or consider other measures, such as independent security audits or domestic production requirements. Before taking any action, the department would formally notify TP-Link, after which the company would have 30 days to reply. Commerce would then have an additional 30 days to evaluate the company’s response and issue a final ruling.Sources cited in the report suggest that Commerce officials believe only a full ban would address the national security concerns associated with TP-Link’s operations in China. However, this conclusion has not been publicly confirmed. For now, US customers are advised to remain cautious by regularly updating router firmware, changing default passwords, and disabling unused remote management settings. These steps can help reduce security risks regardless of brand while the situation continues to unfold.