Four U.S. States Sue TP-Link Over China Ties
Iowa, Florida, Montana and Nebraska allege TP-Link misleads customers about its relationship with China, violating state consumer protection laws.
Iowa, Florida, Montana and Nebraska filed lawsuits against TP-Link this week, alleging the networking equipment maker misleads customers about its ties to China. The suits accuse TP-Link of deceptive trade acts that violate state consumer protection laws.
TP-Link rejected the lawsuits, saying they are built on false premises. The company said it has provided regulators with documentation showing that its U.S. devices are manufactured in Vietnam and that it is an independent U.S. company.
Regulatory pressure
The state lawsuits follow earlier federal scrutiny of TP-Link. In March, the FCC banned the sale of most routers produced outside the U.S. Asus, Adtran, Netgear, Amazon, Calix, Nokia and Starlink have since received exemptions from that ban, according to Ars Technica and Bloomberg.
In April, TP-Link met with the FCC to seek an exemption from the router ban but was unsuccessful. The company moved its U.S. operations to California in 2024 and says its U.S.-sold routers are manufactured in Vietnam.
TP-Link maintains that its U.S. business operates independently and that the lawsuits rest on inaccurate claims about its China connections.
Quick answers
Which states sued TP-Link?
Iowa, Florida, Montana and Nebraska filed lawsuits against TP-Link this week.
What do the lawsuits allege?
The states accuse TP-Link of deceptive trade acts violating consumer protection laws, saying it misleads customers about its ties to China.
How did TP-Link respond?
TP-Link said the coordinated lawsuits are built on false premises and that documentation shows its U.S. devices are made in Vietnam and it is an independent U.S. company.