US Hits TP-Link With Ban Over Security Fears (39 chars)

The U.S. government is advancing a proposed ban on future sales of TP-Link Systems networking gear, driven by national security assessments concerning potential Chinese government access 1. This action involves over half a dozen federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Commerce 1. Building on these concerns, House Select Committee lawmakers escalated the situation in August 2024 by demanding an investigation after detecting TP-Link devices operating on U.S. military bases 1. Supporting this trend of supply chain scrutiny, the core conflict for technical leaders is balancing TP-Link’s affordability—models are priced 30-50% below competitors—against the geopolitical risk associated with hardware compliance under PRC law 1. While TP-Link claims its headquarters are in California and manufacturing occurs in Vietnam, historical security vulnerabilities, such as the May 2023 exploitation by the “Camaro Dragon” group, fuel skepticism 1. Meanwhile, market share estimates diverge, with experts suggesting a 50% share in the home/small business segment, which TP-Link disputes, claiming only 30 percent 1. This regulatory pressure signals a hardening stance against foreign hardware supply chains.