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ZDNET Highlights
- Government agencies are supporting a proposal to ban TP-Link routers.
- The company’s routers are the most popular choice in the world.
- TP-Link routers have been involved in several hacking incidents.
Nearly a year after this notion was first floated, pressure is gaining momentum by the US government to ban a very popular brand of routers.
Last December, the US Justice, Commerce and Defense departments launched an investigation into Chinese-owned TP-Link due to security concerns. Now, according to A report from the Washington PostSeveral government agencies are officially supporting the Commerce Department’s proposal to ban the sale of all the company’s networking equipment in the US.
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If the ban goes into effect, it would be one of the most sweeping product bans in consumer history.
TP-Link is one of the most popular router brands globally. The company makes the majority of routers sold in the US, is the most popular router choice on Amazon, and More than 300 ISPs Send branded routers to customers. TP-Link is also included in our list of best routers.
The company’s routers have joined this many high profile hacking incidentsHowever, this is causing government officials to question how safe the devices really are. tp-link released a patch For some affected devices, but some people say this is not enough.
what happens now?
At this point, the Commerce Department may choose to drop the case entirely, seek a compromise (such as simply restricting the government from purchasing them), or impose sanctions. If it chooses to impose a ban, it must officially notify TP-Link, which will have 30 days to object. The Commerce Department will have 30 more days to respond to the objection.
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If the ban is imposed, it will impact the sale/purchase of new equipment. You’ll probably still be able to pick up a used TP-Link device if it’s your favorite brand. If you insist on buying new, you will simply buy from another manufacturer.
However, given the company’s market dominance, it is quite likely that we will see a shortage in networking devices, which will definitely increase the prices of the devices available in the market.
When I reached out for comment, a spokesperson for TP-Link Systems Inc. (TP-Link’s US subsidiary) said, “There has been no official action or confirmation by any agency or the White House regarding these allegations.” In the Washington Post article, the spokesperson reiterated, explaining that Commerce could still decide not to issue a ban, or reach an agreement with TP-Link for a different solution.
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“TP-Link Systems vigorously refutes any allegations that its products pose a national security risk to the United States,” the spokesperson said. “Any concerns the government has about TP-Link can be completely resolved by a common sense mix of measures such as promoting development work, investing in cyber security and being transparent,” he said.
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