The U.S. has banned all new foreign-made internet routers, including ones for consumers, citing national security concerns.

BBC News reports that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added all consumer-grade routers made outside the U.S. to a list of equipment seen as not secure enough for use, updated on March 23.

It puts routers on a par with foreign-made drones, which were banned at the end of 2025.

"Malicious actors have exploited security gaps in foreign-made routers to attack American households, disrupt networks, enable espionage, and facilitate intellectual property theft," the FCC said. The ban applies to all "new device models," meaning people will still be able to use foreign-made routers they already own. 

The BBC says the vast majority of Internet routers are assembled or manufactured outside of the U.S., often in Taiwan or China.

The FCC said that malicious access to routers was involved in three cyberattacks — referred to as Volt, Flax, and Salt Typhoon — aimed at U.S. infrastructure between 2024 and 2025.

Non-U.S. manufacturers of routers must apply for conditional approval in a process that will require the disclosure of the firm's foreign investors or influence, as well as a plan to bring the manufacturing of the routers to the U.S., before they can sell in the U.S. going forward.