America is under siege from within our own homes, thanks to sneaky tech gadgets tied to the Chinese Communist Party. A group of vigilant lawmakers are sounding the alarm on products from TP-Link Technologies Co., which are slipping into military stores and American households. These devices, including smart cameras and routers, could be perfect tools for Beijing’s spying games.
Twenty-three members of Congress from both sides of the aisle are demanding action from the Trump administration. They’re calling for a full investigation into TP-Link and its affiliates, with a potential nationwide ban on the table. This push comes as fears mount that these products open doors for Chinese infiltration right into our living rooms and military bases.
“Open-source information indicates that TP-Link represents a serious and present danger to U.S. ICTS [Information and communications technology] security,” the lawmakers, spearheaded by Sen. Joni Ernst from Iowa, stated in their urgent letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Their message is clear: it’s time to slam the door on this threat before it escalates.
The lawmakers didn’t mince words about the dangers lurking in these everyday items. “Right now, nothing stops CCP-tied companies from spying on Americans through internet-connected cameras in our homes,” they warned. They went on to highlight the nightmare scenario: “The Chinese Communist Party can capture and exploit these videos to track, blackmail, or extort U.S. citizens — including top government and military officials.”
At the heart of this controversy are TP-Link’s cameras, which have popped up for sale in U.S. markets. Even though they’re currently out of stock on the online stores for Army, Air Force, and Navy exchanges, their growing appeal worries experts.
Sen. Ernst pulled no punches in her comments to the New York Post. “China will use any way to infiltrate us, and we must ensure they cannot access our homeland or military bases,” she declared. Drawing parallels to past battles, she added: “We have seen this playbook from China before, with Huawei Technologies, and need the Trump administration to investigate and determine if TP-Link is a trojan horse compromising our national security.”
TP-Link has built a massive lineup of products, from Wi-Fi routers to baby monitors and smart plugs, all designed to connect our lives. While the company boasts a small headquarters in Irvine, California, its main operations sit in Shenzhen, China.
China’s iron-fisted laws make the situation even more alarming. The 2017 National Intelligence Law forces every organization and citizen to back state spying efforts. On top of that, companies must install hidden backdoors in their gear, as flagged by the Department of Homeland Security. Beijing has doubled down with the 2017 Cybersecurity Law and the 2021 Data Security Law, tightening the noose on data control.
Warnings about TP-Link aren’t new—they’ve echoed through Washington for years. Just last year, leaders from the House Select Committee on China called for a probe into the firm. Now, with fresh momentum, lawmakers are uniting to expose what they see as a clear and present danger to our way of life.
Rep. Ashley Hinson, another Iowa Republican who signed the letter, laid it out starkly for the New York Post. “Congress has discovered that TP-Link — a company with clear ties to Communist China, whose products are used by the U.S. military and sold on Amazon — is inserting CCP-controlled technology into Americans’ homes while undercutting our supply chains,” she said. She drove the point home: “This is yet another backdoor for the CCP to track or exploit Americans — and closing it should be a no-brainer in an era when cyberwarfare defines the threats we face.”
Shockingly, TP-Link routers are still available on the U.S. Navy Exchange site, as well as those for the Air Force and Army. This access puts our service members directly in the crosshairs. Adding insult to injury, the Defense Department handed out a $174,195 contract four years ago simply labeled “TP-Link,” and the company has snagged other government deals too.
Remember how President Trump took decisive action during his first term? He banned Huawei from U.S. telecom networks to safeguard our security. That bold move set a precedent, and now it’s time to apply the same tough stance to TP-Link.
These products aren’t just lurking in military circles—they’re flying off shelves at big retailers like Walmart and Amazon. Wi-Fi extenders and routers from TP-Link often top bestseller lists, luring unsuspecting Americans into a potential trap. It’s a classic case of cheap foreign goods eroding our independence.
TP-Link isn’t taking these accusations lying down. A spokesperson for TP-Link Systems Inc. fired back to the New York Post, claiming the company holds only about 3% of the U.S. security camera market and stressing that its key security operations and data are based stateside. “TP-Link products do not present national security risks to the United States,” the spokesperson insisted when speaking to the New York Post. They added: “TP-Link emphatically objects to any allegation it is tied to the Communist Party of China, dependent on the Chinese government, or otherwise subject to interference under Chinese national security laws.”
The spokesperson went further, denying any Beijing influence: “Neither the Chinese government nor the CCP exercises any form of ownership or control over TP-Link, its products, or its user data. TP-Link’s founder and CEO, Jeffrey Chao, resides in Irvine, CA, and is not and never has been a member of the CCP.” They also noted that U.S. user data is stored on Amazon Web Services in Virginia, and affirmed: “TP-Link does not enable foreign surveillance of U.S. networks or users.” Finally, they claimed: “The company’s operations are built to prevent potential attempts to subvert its business by outside influence.”
This bipartisan coalition isn’t letting up—they’re pressing the Commerce Department to dig deep into TP-Link’s risks and figure out how to neutralize them. They’ve set a deadline of November 30 for that review, showing they’re serious about putting America first and blocking China’s sneaky advances.
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