Texas AG Sues Chinese-Based TP-Link For Allowing Chinese Access To Devices

The Chinese have had a singular goal for the last ten to twenty years and that is to break the United States down from within itself. They have done that in various ways, putting in Chinese Institutes at various universities, buying up farmland, and spying on American data. The later has become increasingly important in the technological world, and Texas is taking another stand against the Chinese.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a new lawsuit against TP-Link Systems Incorporated. The Chinese-based company provides home networking tools, such as routers and other devices that Americans used daily. The suit accused TP-Link of allowing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) access to American devices.

Brandon Waltens of Texas Scorecard says this suit essentially accused them of deceptive marketing to benefit the CCP.

"It essentially says Chinese national data laws require Chinese firms to assist regime intelligence services and turn over data collected on American users," he says.

That is nothing new from the Chinese. They also have laws requiring any citizen who goes abroad to engage in espionage and spy for the CCP.

Further, the complaint alleges the deception used by TP-Link in selling their products has opened the door to secret surveillance and exploitation of Texas consumers. This is not the first case like this, either.

Paxton filed a lawsuit against a drone company under similar circumstances earlier this week. But other companies like TP-Link have been put on a no-buy list by Governor Greg Abbott.

"He has updated the state's prohibited technology companies to include Chinese companies, like TP-Link...as well as a number of others, specifically for this reason," says Waltens. "The state is concerned they cannot trust these products for security."

In reality, how can you trust it? Anytime China is involved in technology, it makes any American weary. Especially on the government side of things.

Which is why Abbott has instituted this ban. That does, however, only apply to the state government.

"But if it is not good enough for the state government...people probably want to question whether or not they want those products in their home," Waltens says.

TP-Link has denied the allegations in the lawsuit. They told Texas Scorecard, in part, “the claims made by the Texas Attorney General’s office are without merit and will be proven false. TP-Link Systems Inc. is an independent American company. Neither the Chinese government nor the CCP exercises any form of ownership or control over TP-Link, its products, or its user data."