In a video posted to X, Uthmeier announced the lawsuit on October 6, claiming TP-Link's assertions of router safety are false. He stated that Chinese state-sponsored hackers have exploited TP-Link routers in American homes, that many models cannot update automatically and have been abandoned by the company, and that TP-Link's claims of splitting from China and manufacturing products in Vietnam are misleading. According to the attorney general, less than 1% of the parts used at TP-Link's Vietnam plant actually come from Vietnam, and the company remains rooted in China, with its parent designated by the Pentagon as an arm of the Chinese military.
The federal government has been investigating TP-Link since 2024, with the Departments of Commerce, Defense, and Justice looking into national security concerns and possible unfair trade practices. TP-Link has previously disputed these allegations, noting that its U.S. operations separated from the Chinese parent company in 2024 and that it has manufactured routers in Vietnam since 2018.
Separately, the Federal Communications Commission has banned the import of new consumer routers not made in the United States, citing security risks. While U.S. brands like Cisco and Netgear have obtained conditional approvals, TP-Link has applied for an exemption but its status remains unclear. The company can continue selling existing router models in the U.S. even without the exemption.