Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against TP-Link Systems Inc, accusing the router giant of misleading consumers about the security and origin of its networking devices.

The suit claims TP-Link products have been exploited by Chinese state-sponsored hackers to attack American users.

This should concern every TP-Link router owner, as they control roughly 65% of the U.S. home router market.

Their best-selling router on Amazon goes for just $52 with over 8,000 purchases per month, showing how the company captured such a massive share. Many households also don’t know they own one because internet providers supply rebranded hardware.

Inside the TP-Link Router Lawsuit

Filed in Collin County under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, the suit accuses TP-Link of slapping “Made in Vietnam” labels on devices while sourcing nearly all components from China. Less than 1% of parts used in TP-Link’s Vietnamese factory come from Vietnam, according to the filing.

Paxton’s office also claims the company markets its routers as secure while knowing about dangerous firmware flaws.

Microsoft reported in October 2024 that a Chinese threat actor called Storm-0940 used compromised TP-Link routers for credential-theft attacks. Check Point Research identified another group exploiting firmware holes to build a botnet.

The state further argues that TP-Link’s Chinese supply chain ties subject the company to China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law, which can force firms to hand over user data to intelligence agencies.

TP-Link called the allegations “without merit” in a report from The Record. The company says it operates independently from its former Chinese parent and that all U.S. user data is stored on domestic Amazon Web Services servers.

Why Cord-Cutters Should Pay Attention

Your router is the backbone of your streaming setup, as every Internet-connected device is connecting through it. If that hardware has weaknesses being exploited by foreign actors, your personal data could be at risk.

Governor Abbott added TP-Link to the state’s prohibited technologies list in January. The federal government had considered a nationwide ban but reportedly paused those plans.

If you own a TP-Link router, consider using a high quality Asus router instead.  The more powerful Asus routers allow you to easily run a VPN at the router level so all devices within your home are protected.

See Troy’s video on how to setup Surfshark VPN with WireGuard protocol below.

Best WiFi 6 WireGuard VPN Router Setup – Asus AX5700 (RT-AX86U PRO)

Final Thoughts

This lawsuit should be a wake-up call for anyone who assumed their router was safe. TP-Link’s dominance means this affects millions of American households.

Cheap routers might save money upfront, but the cost to your privacy could be far greater.

For more details on this story, refer to the official lawsuit documentation (PDF) and the report from BleepingComputer.

We want to know your thoughts. What do you think about this story? Let us know in the comment section below!

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