The reason why the use of foreign routers has been banned in the United States after the drones

The United States has banned the use of all types of foreign internet routers, including the popular Chinese brand TP-Link. The BBC reported this information on Tuesday (March 24).

On Monday, the United States added foreign routers to an updated list of equipment that is 'not safe enough to use'. The country's Central Communications Commission (FCC) published the list.

Basically, the new list bans the use of all types of routers made outside the United States. Authorities said that this step has been taken to ensure national security. Earlier, Washington also banned the use of drones made abroad late last year.

The FCC said in a statement, 'By exploiting the security weaknesses of routers made abroad, some criminals are engaging in crimes such as attacking and disrupting internet networks in the United States, espionage and intellectual property theft.'

However, the FCC confirmed that the ban will not apply to those who are already using foreign routers. But no one will be able to buy or use new routers made abroad.

The decision was made out of concerns that criminals can easily gain access to networks through routers. Concerns about routers have been growing in US politics after a series of cyberattacks last year. TP-Link, the best-selling Chinese router on the online platform Amazon, has become one of the reasons for this concern.

From now on, FCC approval must be obtained before importing, marketing or selling any router made outside the United States. This approval will have to go through a long process. First, the FCC must be informed of the identities of all investors and influential people in the router manufacturing company for conditional approval. At the same time, a specific plan for transferring router production operations to the United States must also be submitted.

The FCC said that some foreign routers may be removed from the banned list based on the approval of the Department of Defense or the Department of Homeland Security. However, no specific routers have been named yet.

Potential risks include disruption to the US supply system and the risk of cyber attacks on public safety and infrastructure. The FCC also noted that routers were behind three cyberattacks known as Volt, Flex, and Salt Typhoon between 2024 and 2025. A US investigation has blamed China for all three attacks. Most of the world's internet routers are made in Taiwan and China.

Even if a router is designed in the US but manufactured abroad, it will still fall under the ban. Netgear is the most popular US router brand, but it does not manufacture in the US.

Of the major brands, only Elon Musk's Starlink claims that the routers used in its internet connections are manufactured in the US state of Texas.