A sudden US ban on certain smart-home devices just exposed a backdoor that let foreign hackers turn your private network into a weapon

The US has just dropped a major bombshell, banning new foreign-made consumer internet routers due to some serious national security concerns. This is a huge shift, with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adding all consumer-grade routers made outside the US to a list of equipment they deem not secure enough for use, as reported by the BBC. It’s a big deal because these are the devices practically all of us use every single day to get online with our phones, computers, and smart TVs.

This new rule puts routers in the same category as foreign-made drones, which got the axe late last year. The FCC stated that “Malicious actors have exploited security gaps in foreign-made routers to attack American households, disrupt networks, enable espionage, and facilitate intellectual property theft.” While you won’t have to toss out the foreign-made router you already own, this ban applies to all “new device models” moving forward.

The crackdown really stems from growing worries over the past year. There was increasing concern that routers were becoming an easy entry point for bad actors. Take TP-Link, for example, a Chinese brand that’s a huge seller on Amazon. It became a focal point of US political anxiety last year after a string of cyberattacks.

Now, if a company wants to bring a new router model into the US that’s made abroad, it’s going to need FCC approval before it can be imported, marketed, or sold

Getting that green light isn’t going to be easy either. These companies will have to apply for conditional approval, a process that demands they disclose their foreign investors or any external influence. They also need to provide a clear plan to bring the manufacturing of their routers to the US.

This follows a decision made recently by various government agencies focused on national security. They collectively determined that internet routers made overseas “posed unacceptable risks” to the United States. We’re talking about potential far-reaching impacts on the American supply chain, along with the very real possibility of a cybersecurity attack that could mess with our critical infrastructure or even directly harm people.

The FCC specifically pointed to three major cyberattacks – known as Volt, Flax, and Salt Typhoon – that targeted US infrastructure between 2024 and 2025. These attacks reportedly involved malicious access to routers. Government investigations into these incidents have squarely blamed actors either within or working on behalf of the Chinese government. This really puts the “national security” aspect into sharp focus.

Here’s the kicker: the vast majority of internet routers we use are assembled or manufactured outside of the US, often in places like Taiwan or China. This ban applies even if a router is brilliantly designed right here in the US but built overseas. So, even popular brands like Netgear, which is an American company, will be affected because they manufacture all their products abroad.

However, there are a few exceptions. Certain routers might get a pass if the Department of Defense or the Department of Homeland Security deems them acceptable. As of right now, though, neither agency has put any specific routers on an exceptions list. On the brighter side, we do have one notable example of a US-made router: the newer Starlink WiFi router. Elon Musk’s SpaceX produces these right in Texas.