BrianKrebs (@briankrebs@infosec.exchange)
infosec.exchange
Whoa, that escalated quickly. This just got sent out by the press folks at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC says it has decided that all foreign-made consumer-grade Internet routers are henceforth prohibited from receiving FCC authorization and are therefore prohibited from being imported for use or sale in the United States. "Update Follows Determination by Executive Branch Agencies that Consumer-Grade Routers Produced in Foreign Countries Threaten National Security WASHINGTON, March 23, 2026—Today, the Federal Communications Commission updated its Covered List to include all consumer-grade routers produced in foreign countries. Routers are the boxes in every home that connect computers, phones, and smart devices to the internet. This followed a determination by a White House-convened Executive Branch interagency body with appropriate national security expertise that such routers “pose unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States or the safety and security of United States persons.” "The Executive Branch determination noted that foreign-produced routers (1) introduce “a supply chain vulnerability that could disrupt the U.S. economy, critical infrastructure, and national defense” and (2) pose “a severe cybersecurity risk that could be leveraged to immediately and severely disrupt U.S. critical infrastructure and directly harm U.S. persons.” "This action does not affect any previously-purchased consumer-grade routers. Consumers can continue to use any router they have already lawfully purchased or acquired." "Producers of consumer-grade routers that receive Conditional Approval from DoW or DHS can continue to receive FCC equipment authorizations. Interested applicants are encouraged to submit applications to conditional-approvals@fcc.gov." Not sure how many consumer-grade routers will be left for sale if it really is a ban on approvals for any foreign-made consumer routers like they said, and not just a bunch of already restricted Chinese makers like Huawei and ZTE. https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-updates-covered-list-include-foreign-made-consumer-routers FCC's "covered list" of "thou shalt not entities": https://www.fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist
  • hperrin@lemmy.caEnglish
    52·
    7 days ago

    Awesome. So what used to be a $50 router is about to be a $150 router. Great.

  • Pulsar@lemmy.worldEnglish
    32·
    6 days ago

    The only explanation that makes sense to me is that this is a law to:

    1. get bribes or favors from telecom equipment manufacturers.
    2. Create a framework to force backdoors into consumer equipment.
    3. Force users to use ISP provided equipment.
  • itisileclerk@lemmy.worldEnglish
    142·
    5 days ago

    But in fact USA and Israel are the countries that spy on anyone. I am more concern about USA and Israel spying than from India and China. In this point in history USA and Israel are the enemy of the world.

  • Paranoid Factoid@lemmy.worldEnglish
    23·
    6 days ago

    I can understand the FTC being involved because trade. But the FCC? Maybe regulatory authority over WiFi? But this seems like massive over reach.

    Remember when conservatives claimed to support smaller government?

    • DarkFuture@lemmy.worldEnglish
      21·
      6 days ago

      Remember when conservatives claimed to support smaller government?

      I only remember when conservatives lied everytime they opened their mouths.

    • halowpeano@lemmy.worldEnglish
      11·
      6 days ago

      I mean… “Small government” Republicans were always demonstrably lying, as far back as any of them have been alive. Every one of them just wanted to shift money from things that support people to the pockets of their donors.

    • floofloof@lemmy.caOPEnglish
      7·
      6 days ago

      How about the bit where they say home routers have to be approved by the DHS or the “Department of War”? This is not normal.

  • gibmiser@lemmy.worldEnglish
    42·
    7 days ago

    Conditional approvals - it’s a bribe scheme. Companies can ask for exceptions. Sure they wouldn’t Grease any palms…

      • floofloof@lemmy.caOPEnglish
        2·
        6 days ago

        So the application process is “drop us an email and we’ll tell you where to deposit the money.”

  • melsaskca@lemmy.caEnglish
    281·
    6 days ago

    Even more isolationism. Knowing how the usa works, they discovered the equipment was set up for spying on their people and they want all of that “spying on their own people” power for themselves.

    • FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.worldEnglish
      6·
      6 days ago

      they want all of that “spying on their own people” power for themselves.

      My assumption as well, after after the video release in the Guthrie case, we know objectively that every device with a microphone or camera and a wireless connection is spying on us and feeding the data to the US government without a warrant too.

  • tabular@lemmy.worldEnglish
    23·
    7 days ago

    Only US allowed to spy on it’s denizens!!1

    People not being sure what their router is actually doing is the issue. Instead of hoping for local manufactoring why not mandate against black box software running on the router? Mandate routers come with schematics like all electronics used to do? Promote computer literacy while you’re at it.

    • Bluewing@lemmy.worldEnglish
      11·
      6 days ago

      A nice thought. But the Great Unwashed Masses do not care. They want a Quick Start Guide that just says “Plug it in” and no other steps required. They want the black box because they don’t want to learn and understand.

      And that attitude is less about the oligarchy and a lot more about all lazy people.

  • Zedd_Prophecy@lemmy.worldEnglish
    131·
    6 days ago

    Build your own open WRT router or get one of theirs. It’s the best way to go and you don’t get dragged through the monthly fee wringer for stupid child security or other stuff that is not well designed.

  • apftwb@lemmy.worldEnglish
    9·
    6 days ago

    TPLink needed to get their shit in order for years. This has been cooking since 2019. However, this administration is just turned it into a bribery scheme.

  • Zwuzelmaus@feddit.orgEnglish
    121·
    7 days ago

    Outsourcing of manufactoring work is forbidden now? LOL

    IMHO it is yet another scheme to make poor people pay more to rich people. And yet again nobody resists it.

    • floofloof@lemmy.caOPEnglish
      11·
      7 days ago

      It’s that, and also an invitation to bribery, and also a demand for surveillance backdoors. And your router may need your biometric data to protect the children (but not from billionaire pedophiles).