Amazon’s Most Popular Router Could Be Banned Over China Spy Concerns [Video]

What’s New

U.S. authorities are investigating Amazon‘s most popular router and whether its Chinese ownership poses a national security risk.

Investigators at the Commerce, Defense and Justice departments have opened probes into TP-Link, a Chinese company that manufactures a popular home-internet router that’s been linked to cyberattacks, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. It is possible U.S. officials could ban the sale of TP-Link routers as early as next year.

Newsweek reached out to TP-Link, the Justice Department and the Pentagon via email for comment.

Why It Matters

The company has roughly 65 percent of the U.S. market for routers for homes and small businesses. TP-Link is also used to power internet communications for federal government agencies, including the Defense Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and NASA.

TP-Link is also one of more than 300 internet providers whose routers are mailed out to U.S. homes that sign up for its services.