TP-Link sued by four states over cybersecurity and China ties

Florida, Iowa, Montana, and Nebraska have filed lawsuits against TP-Link, accusing the router manufacturer of misleading American consumers regarding cybersecurity and its connections to China. These legal actions follow a similar lawsuit filed by Texas earlier this year.

The states allege that TP-Link, which holds a significant share of the American networking device market, marketed its products as secure while concealing meaningful ties to China and the potential risks to personal data. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier described routers as the ‘digital front door’ to home networks, highlighting the security implications of the hardware.

While TP-Link denies being controlled by China or posing a unique threat, the lawsuits claim that significant research, development, and manufacturing operations remain in China despite the company’s assertions that its American business is separate from its former Chinese affiliate.