US bans foreign-made consumer routers over cybersecurity concerns
Fox Business • • business
Key Points:
- The FCC has banned the import of all new foreign-made consumer routers, citing severe cybersecurity risks that could disrupt U.S. critical infrastructure, particularly targeting Chinese-made devices which dominate about 60% of the U.S. home router market.
- Existing models of foreign-made routers are not affected by the ban, and there is an exemption for devices approved by the Pentagon as posing no unacceptable risk.
- The FCC highlighted that foreign-made routers have been exploited for cyberattacks, espionage, and intellectual property theft, referencing major hacks like Volt and Salt Typhoon.
- Lawmakers, including Rep. John Moolenaar, praised the FCC’s decision as a necessary protection against Chinese cyber threats, while the Chinese Embassy has not yet responded.
- This move follows other U.S. actions against Chinese technology, including a recent lawsuit against TP-Link Systems and a prior ban on imports of Chinese drones.
