Texas sues network equipment maker TP-Link for aiding the Chinese Communist Party in cyberattacks
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against
Attorney General Paxton Sues TP Link for Allowing the CCP to Access Americans' Devices in First of Several Lawsuits Being Filed this Week Against China-Aligned Companies | Office of the Attorney General
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-paxton-sues-tp-link-allowing-ccp-access-americans-devices-first-several-lawsuits
(PDF file) Texas's Original Petition and Application for Temporary and Permanent Injuries
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/press/TP%20P.pdf
Texas AG sues TP-Link over purported connection to China
https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/texas-ag-sues-tp-link-over-purported-connection-to-china-193802258.html
Texas sues TP-Link alleging Chinese government access to its devices | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/texas-sues-tp-link-alleging-chinese-government-access-its-devices-2026-02-17/
TP-Link is the world's largest Wi-Fi equipment manufacturer, with a 65% share of the US home and small business market, and more than 300 Internet service providers (ISPs) use TP-Link devices as their basic routers.
However, TP-Link has been accused of shipping products with security flaws on multiple occasions, raising security concerns. In December 2024, it was reported that the U.S. Departments of Defense, Justice, and Commerce had launched investigations into TP-Link . TP-Link asserted that ' TP-Link in the U.S. and TP-Link in China are separate entities ,' and issued a statement stating that 'the Chinese government does not have access to the design or manufacturing of our routers and other devices.' However, the U.S. government ultimately proposed restricting TP-Link routers for national security reasons.
Is the US government's proposed ban on TP-Link products really effective? - GIGAZINE
The Texas Attorney General's Office also launched an investigation into TP-Link in October 2025, alleging that the company 'may have assisted the Chinese Communist Party in accessing and misusing American consumer data.' Attorney General Paxton stated, 'If a major tech company is giving the Chinese Communist Party access to American citizens' data, there's no question that that data is being used against the American people. No company should be allowed to sell us out to our greatest enemy, China. If TP-Link is violating Texas law and putting the American people at risk, my office will do everything in its power to hold them accountable.'
Attorney General Paxton filed suit against TP-Link after an investigation revealed that the company had misrepresented information about its networking equipment sales.
According to the complaint, TP-Link products are labeled 'Made in Vietnam,' but the reverse reveals a supply chain with deep ties to China. Nearly all components are sourced in China, with only final assembly taking place in Vietnam. 'TP-Link's equipment is not a secure device that Texas consumers can consent to purchasing, but a modern-day weapon of war that enables foreign adversaries to surveil and attack America,' the complaint alleges.
The Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA) prohibits major technology companies from selling devices to Texans under false or misleading terms. TP-Link products were sold at major retailers in Texas, and the lawsuit seeks liability and an injunction against the company for falsely representing its partnerships and protection features while concealing security vulnerabilities.
'Today, my office is launching a coordinated series of actions against companies aligned with the Chinese Communist Party to send a clear message that Texas and America will always come first,' said Attorney General Paxton. 'TP-Link will face the full force of the law for endangering the safety of the American people. This should send a clear warning to any Chinese company seeking to undermine our national security.'
In response to the lawsuit, TP-Link issued a statement to technology media Engadget, saying, 'The Texas Attorney General's Office's allegations are without merit and will eventually be proven false. TP-Link Systems Inc. is an independent American company. Neither the Chinese government nor the Chinese Communist Party exercises any ownership or control over TP-Link, its products, or user data. TP-Link's founder and CEO, Jeffrey Chao, resides in Irvine, California, and is not, and has never been, a member of the Chinese Communist Party. To ensure the highest level of security, all of our core operations and infrastructure are located within the United States, and all of our American users' network data is securely stored on Amazon Web Services servers. We will continue to vigorously defend our reputation as a trusted provider of secure connections to American homes.'
The Chinese Embassy had not responded to a request for comment from Reuters at the time of writing.
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