prohibit a prominent drone manufacturer from the US, which ultimately occurred, the FCC has barred routers produced in overseas locations. This signifies that the distribution of routers manufactured abroad will now be limited, encompassing devices from TP-Link, Google, and Netgear, among others. This may lead you to wonder about the legality and safety of using these routers, so it is crucial to understand that the FCC has not targeted specific brands. Rather, it enforces a broad prohibition on routers made outside the country due to possible security risks associated with equipment manufactured in China or with Chinese parts.
Owning routers produced by foreign companies, such as TP-Link, is not against the law if you already have one set up. Additionally, routers from the impacted brands that are still available in stores, which were previously authorized for sale, will remain available, and this prohibition does not apply retroactively in this aspect. The FCC clarifies this by stating, “…today’s action does not affect a consumer’s ongoing use of routers they have acquired in the past. Nor does it restrict retailers from continuing to sell, import, or promote router models that were previously approved through the FCC’s equipment authorization process.”
The FCC has also released an official exemption that permits existing devices to keep receiving software updates until March 1, 2027. Regarding the safety of using routers from brands like TP-Link, the general answer is affirmative, provided that you do not possess a model marked as unsafe.