TP-Link Sued by Texas in First of Several China Spying Suits (1)

TP-Link Systems Inc., a California-based wireless router maker, faces deceptive marketing claims from the state of Texas for masking its connection to the Chinese government and leaving users’ data vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Although labels on TP-Link products show the routers are made in Vietnam, nearly all of the components are first sourced in China, the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit in Texas state court follows an investigation from the US Federal Trade Commission into the company hiding its connections to China since its restructuring in 2024.

“Instead of the secure doorway consumers expect, TP-Link devices are an open window for Chinese-sponsored threat actors and Chinese intelligence agencies,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) alleges in the petition.

The lawsuit is the first of several Paxton (R) says he’ll file this week against companies aligned with the Chinese government. It falls on the first day of early voting in the state’s March 3 primary election, with Paxton running for the US Senate against incumbent John Cornyn (R).

Paxton brought the suit just weeks after Gov. Greg Abbott (R) updated the state’s list of prohibited technologies for state employees and devices to include TP Link. Paxton had previously announced an investigation into TP Link in October, and in December Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (R) issued a subpoena to TP Link over alleged data-sharing with the Chinese government.

TP Link didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

The lawsuit seeks up to $10,000 for each violation of the state’s deceptive trade practices laws, or up to $250,000 if a consumer victim is 65 years or older.

Paxton brought the lawsuit in Collin County, Texas, the county he once represented as a state lawmaker, and where he says TP-Link devices are for sale at Best Buy and Walmart stores.

In December, Paxton brought privacy lawsuits against Hisense and TCL, both subsidiaries of China-based companies, for selling the data of television viewers without their permission.

The case is Texas v. TP-Link Systems Inc., Tex. Dist. Ct., 2/17/26.