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fliptop [soylentnews.org] writes:

Texas is suing TP-Link Systems, a California-based maker of wi-fi routers, accusing it of concealing its ties to China and potentially exposing American users’ home networks to hackers [theepochtimes.com]:

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the lawsuit on Feb. 17, alleging deceptive marketing practices. Paxton first began investigating [texasattorneygeneral.gov] TP-Link in October 2025, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has since prohibited [texas.gov] state employees from using TP-Link products.

TP-Link, founded in China in 1996, states on its website that it underwent a restructuring in 2024 that split the company into TP-Link Systems and TP-Link Technologies, which serves the mainland Chinese market, and that the two entities are no longer affiliated. Devices sold to U.S. consumers also carry “Made in Vietnam” labels.

Paxton, however, alleges that those “Made in Vietnam” stickers are meant to obscure a supply chain “deeply entrenched in China,” where nearly all of TP-Link’s components are sourced before being shipped to Vietnam for final assembly.

Those supply-chain ties, the lawsuit claims, leave the company vulnerable to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) counterespionage and national security laws, which require Chinese companies and citizens to assist state intelligence efforts, including providing foreign user data upon request. The complaint also alleges that firmware vulnerabilities in TP-Link hardware have already “exposed millions of consumers to severe cybersecurity risks.”

Previously: FCC Orders TP-Link to Allow Third-Party Firmware on Their Routers [soylentnews.org]

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