Attorney General McCuskey joins multi-state coalition raising concerns over Wi-Fi company’s ties to China
Today, West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey joined a multi-state coalition of 21 state attorneys general in raising concerns to the Federal Communications Commission over a Wi-Fi company’s close ties to the Chinese Communist Party. The letter claims use of TP-Link routers creates unnecessary national security risks.
TP-Link controls at least 60 percent of the U.S. retail market for Wi-Fi systems and small office/home-office routers. The company is now requesting conditional approval to sell new router models in the United States. As the FCC’s March 23, 2026, Public Notice explained: “Routers are the key networking device that enable American homes, schools, businesses, critical infrastructure providers, and emergency services to connect to the internet every day. …Compromised routers can enable in-depth network surveillance, data exfiltration, botnet attacks, and unauthorized access to U.S. Government or American businesses’ networks.”
The letter addresses concerns that TP-Link has ongoing ties to the Chinese military and relies on major research and development and manufacturing operations in China. Although TP-Link recently constructed a manufacturing plant in Vietnam, a vast majority of the components used at the plant are imported from or through China, and the plant was constructed by a contractor with ties to the Chinese military. These ongoing relationships create serious security concerns that must be addressed before a decision is made on TP-Link’s request for conditional approval.
“As the state’s attorney general, I have a duty to do all I can to protect consumers – and consumers need to be aware of this risk. Additionally, cyber-attacks pose a grave threat to our national security so we are asking the FCC to address these concerns before allowing this company to expand in this country,” Attorney General McCuskey said.
TP-Link routers have been implicated in a number of serious cyber attacks by Russian intelligence and Chinese state actors. The attacks involved unauthorized access to TP-Link routers, which enabled hackers to gain administrator access and conscript the routers into an illegal botnet. Hackers can use botnets to gain access to targeted systems, or to steal consumers’ sensitive information, including private communications, usage data, passwords, financial records, and more.
In addition to West Virginia, the letter was signed by attorneys general from the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nebraska, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.
The letter can be read here.
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