# US government just banned consumer routers made outside the US **URL:** https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/us-government-just-banned-consumer-routers-made-outside-the-us/36522 **Category:** News **Tags:** article **Created:** 2026-03-24T10:26:49Z **Posts:** 29 ## Post 1 by @ZenByte — 2026-03-24T10:26:49Z > **[The US government just banned consumer routers made outside the US](https://www.theverge.com/news/899172/fcc-foreign-router-ban)** > > You can keep using your existing router. They’re saying it’s for “national security” reasons. The rule only applies to consumer/residential routers, not routers designed for businesses and enterprises. Currently, nearly all consumer routers are made outside the US. --- ## Post 2 by @anonymous549 — 2026-03-24T14:57:38Z I would be surprised if this isn’t struck down by the courts. The infrastructure just does not exist in the US for this ban to work unless the FCC makes so many exemptions that the ban becomes effectively meaningless. --- ## Post 3 by @anon25722375 — 2026-03-24T15:11:23Z You’re assuming logic still exists in the US. It’s no longer for the case. I feel the reaction to any such news is or should be - whatever will happen will happen so you shrug and move on. --- ## Post 4 by @anonymous549 — 2026-03-24T15:12:45Z That sounds like burying your head in the sand with more steps. --- ## Post 5 by @jonah — 2026-03-24T15:14:28Z So many questions, for example: The fuck? They are only banning “consumer routers.” I wonder how they differentiate. Is Ubiquiti consumer grade? Are we going to see an explosion in “small business routers”? Like little text that says “not for residential use” like how people are buying peptides/drugs online that are “not for human consumption” these days? Is this a ploy to get everyone to use cell phones that are more easily tracked? Once again, like “stopping terrorists” or “protecting children,” this is another attack on the American people in the name of “security.” When will we stop accepting “security” as an excuse? --- ## Post 6 by @anon25722375 — 2026-03-24T15:17:47Z No. That’s more like being exhausted and giving up making sense of things. You do what you need to and however you can, and move on. That’s really how I meant my comment to be read. --- ## Post 7 by @anon25722375 — 2026-03-24T15:18:47Z > [@jonah](#): > > When will we stop accepting “security” as an excuse? When the general populace becomes critical thinkers and asks the very same question. Don’t think we should be waiting for it to happen anytime soon. --- ## Post 8 by @anonymous549 — 2026-03-24T15:23:21Z > [@jonah](#): > > They are only banning “consumer routers.” Yeah its expecially confusing given how the [FCC defines routers](https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/NSD-Routers0326.pdf) > Routers: For the purpose of this determination, the term “Routers” is defined by National > Institute of Science and Technology’s Internal Report 8425A to include consumer-grade > networking devices that are primarily intended for residential use and can be installed by the customer. Routers forward data packets, most commonly Internet Protocol (IP) packets, between networked systems. I do wonder if companies will argue that they do not sell “routers” they sell “WiFi enabled switches”. --- ## Post 10 by @OldGuy — 2026-03-24T15:49:06Z Expect to see an up tick on the sale of devices like the Raspberry Pi but with at least two Ethernet ports instead of one. “Gee Dad, it’s not a router, it’s a computer.” Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. --- ## Post 11 by @Julie — 2026-03-24T16:34:04Z A couple of things to note about this decision: 1- It does not apply to existing router and router certification. 2- They state in their decision : ’ Producers of consumer-grade routers that receive Conditional Approval from DoW or DHS can continue to receive FCC equipment authorization’‘ 3- American could bypass this restriction buy buying product from amazon.ca, the Canadian FCC has almost the same technicals standards than the FCC. --- ## Post 12 by @Gabriela — 2026-03-24T16:40:29Z Free market, law of supply and demand /s --- ## Post 13 by @Encounter5729 — 2026-03-24T21:38:48Z > [@anonymous549](#): > > I would be surprised if this isn’t struck down by the court Courts generally give broad deference to the government in national security concerns. Don’t see how this is illegal in any way. --- ## Post 14 by @anonymous549 — 2026-03-24T21:41:26Z Its just an overreach. As @ctf said > [@ctf](#): > > The recent US Supreme Court verdict has neutered the agencies a lot, All these major brands will bring lawsuits and I expect the courts will eventually rule the FCC doesn’t have the authority to make this type of ban. > [@Encounter5729](#): > > Don’t see how this is illegal in any way. Remember a lot of issues brought before courts don’t have to revolve around the question of if the action was illegal. Government agencies constantly do things that are not explicitly legal or illegal and its for the courts to decide what the line is. --- ## Post 15 by @BLC_ian — 2026-03-24T22:06:22Z you’ll pry my Mikrotiks out of my cold, dead hands… i just can’t see this as being feasible in any kind of timeframe. there are, AFAIK, zero production facs here in NA to even remotely meet consumer demand. unless the evil twins (Google & Apple) magically pull something out of the ether… --- ## Post 17 by @Julie — 2026-03-25T00:43:34Z it does not apply to the current certified products. Only to newer ones. --- ## Post 18 by @Cyber-Typhoon — 2026-03-25T02:21:07Z > [@jonah](#): > > When will we stop accepting “security” as an excuse? ![if-you-think-too-much-about-security-dinosaurs-will-eat-you-v0-2i24liyqctpd1](https://forum-uploads.privacyguidesusercontent.com/original/3X/b/a/baf096736064855ef1ae884d3d97b2d16608d5dc.jpeg) People like dinosaurs :t_rex: :person_shrugging: --- ## Post 19 by @overdrawn98901 — 2026-03-25T03:04:20Z OpenWRT or bust --- ## Post 20 by @TinFoilHat — 2026-03-25T18:48:50Z TBH, I see this as another move by the US president to “encourage" manufacturing back into the US, or if they don’t , they can try to pay the ransom for so called “exemption“. Look how Tiktok thing played out, privacy / security / protection, etc. are all buzz words of profit, power and control. I wonder why consumer routers is restricted, while most traffic are actually encrypted, but phones/ tablets / PCs, the actual place that data and traffic are being stored and generated, are not. Well. I say I wonder but really I am not. --- ## Post 21 by @privacylearner — 2026-03-26T14:20:07Z I too think this will be struck down. There is so much importing going on in the US, this would set a terrible precedent. --- ## Post 22 by @Machkiel — 2026-03-29T12:21:35Z Router backdoors must be local to the nation. Routers with foreign backdoors will be banned. Perhaps manufacturing will return to the US. --- ## Post 23 by @anon18727537 — 2026-03-29T12:37:33Z Netgear: American company but products made overseas. So, will they start doing manfacturing in the US? and Starlink: made fully in the US. So, it looks like at the moment Starlink is going to be the US consumers only option of ~~purchase for the time being.~~ Edit: future purchase. Older foreign routers can continue to be used and routers already approved by the FTC can continue to be bought. But future foreign routers that have not been approved as of recently will not be available to the American consumer. Thank you @Julie for fixing my mistake. --- ## Post 24 by @Gabriela — 2026-03-29T12:37:55Z Router backdoors “mustn’t be” in the first place — regardless of their origin. --- ## Post 25 by @seize — 2026-03-29T12:53:49Z > **Off topic: meme** > > Something something… backdoor roulette > > ![r_2088748_yskde-3221831958](https://forum-uploads.privacyguidesusercontent.com/original/3X/9/c/9cb0eb73226235f3b173403fd89060c82e6bebb5.jpeg) --- ## Post 26 by @Julie — 2026-03-29T14:25:30Z No, all the FCC router that are already approuved are not cover by the ban ( at least for 1 year). The ban apply to future routers certification. --- ## Post 28 by @Machkiel — 2026-03-30T10:31:42Z > [@Gabriela](#): > > Router backdoors “mustn’t be” in the first place — regardless of their origin. I agree, but the point I was trying to make was that the malevolent creatures running governments greedily want all the surveillance for themselves. --- ## Post 29 by @Julie — 2026-03-31T00:40:51Z Here the limited list of approuved device ( at the post time, only 4 drones are listed) [https://www.fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist#conditional-approvals](https://www.fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist#conditional-approvals) Also interesting, they provide their definition of home routers: _“Routers” is defined by National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Internal Report 8425A to mean consumer-grade networking devices that are primarily intended for residential use and can be installed by the customer. Routers forward data packets, most commonly Internet Protocol (IP) packets, between networked systems._