JAKARTA - The United States government through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officially banned the import of all new consumer routers produced abroad. This is the latest drastic step regarding cybersecurity concerns in the country.
This policy is part of an escalation of pressure on Chinese-made electronics, which have dominated about 60 percent of the US home router market. Routers themselves are vital devices that connect computers, mobile phones, and smart devices to the internet - aka the "main gate" of the digital world.
The FCC stressed that this ban only applies to new products and does not affect the use or import of old models. However, the message conveyed is clear: the security risk is considered too great to ignore.
In its statement, the FCC said the results of a study involving the White House found that imported routers could be a "serious threat" to national cybersecurity. The device is considered potentially useful for quickly and widely disabling US critical infrastructure.
The FCC also revealed that security gaps in foreign routers have been exploited by malicious actors to attack households, disrupt networks, conduct espionage, and steal intellectual property. Some major cyber attacks such as "Volt Typhoon" and "Salt Typhoon" are cited as real examples.
However, this policy still provides exceptions for certain devices that are considered safe by the Pentagon.
This FCC move has the support of lawmakers, including John Moolenaar, Chairman of the US House of Representatives Special Committee on China issues. He called the decision an important step to protect the US from increasing cyber attacks.
On the other hand, China has not given an official response to this policy.
Tensions have also spilled over into the legal realm. The Texas Attorney General previously sued TP-Link Systems, a California-based router manufacturer with roots in a Chinese company, for alleged misleading marketing practices and potential data access by Beijing. TP-Link strongly denied the allegations and said it would defend its reputation.
Interestingly, the Donald Trump administration had previously delayed plans to ban the domestic sale of TP-Link routers, signaling a still-evolving policy dynamic.
The FCC's move follows a similar policy in December 2025 that banned the import of new Chinese-made drones, reinforcing the direction of the US policy that is increasingly aggressive in limiting foreign technology in strategic sectors.
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