The US router ban is not about security, despite the government’s claims. The FCC doesn’t ask companies a single question about security to get an exemption from the ban it’s more about where routers are made.
What happened
Nor is the FCC carefully testing which products are safe and which might have security holes — it has granted Asus a blanket exemption on all future routers through March 2028.
Where the sources line up
Few consumer products are made in the United States these days for all kinds of economic reasons. Even a copy of the board game Monopoly is now difficult to manufacture domestically . It wouldn’t be surprising if Asus wants to avoid building factories here.
Practical impact for readers
But if the US router ban is not about US manufacturing, and it’s not about security, what is it actually about? Why did the Trump administration suddenly give Asus a blanket exemption, and why did it give Netgear a similar blanket exemption back in April?
Who should pay attention now
The FCC did not respond to a request for comment then, and it has not responded to our fact-check request for this story. Perhaps it’s simply satisfied that these companies aren’t making them in China both Asus and Netgear claim they’re manufacturing in countries that are considered US allies, and Netgear additionally says that “we no longer procure internet-connected components from manufacturers in China, or entities owned or controlled by China.
What is still unclear
Publicly, both Asus and Netgear are using the US government’s exemptions as marketing tools. In April, Netgear even emailed existing customers to share the news that Netgear is a “trusted consumer router company” now. Asus now claims it passed a “rigorous cybersecurity review” and is now certified as a “Trusted Networking Equipment Brand ” and listed as a “Trusted Consumer Router Vendor,” as if those were official terms.
Latest comments
0No comments yet. You can start the conversation.