Commerce Department to study foreign-made router security risks
S. 244 — ROUTERS Act · Filed by Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Jan 24, 2025 · Reported out
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill directs the Commerce Department to study national security risks posed by consumer routers, modems, and combined modem-router devices made by companies owned or controlled by countries on a specific U.S. national security watchlist. The Secretary must report findings to Congress within one year. The bill does not impose restrictions, bans, or regulations—it is purely a fact-finding mandate.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is a directive to conduct a study and report findings. It is a fact-finding exercise, not a regulatory or appropriations measure. The acronym 'ROUTERS Act' is a forced backronym (Removing Our Unsecure Technologies to Ensure Reliability and Security) that does not obscure the bill's actual function.
What the text implies
- Study findings may inform future legislation restricting imports or mandating security standards for consumer networking equipment, potentially raising prices for consumers or limiting product choice.
- The reference to 'covered countries' via section 4872(f)(2) of title 10 (likely China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and similar designations) signals a geopolitical focus; study may recommend supply-chain diversification or domestic manufacturing incentives.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
U.S. router and modem manufacturers; domestic networking equipment suppliers; cybersecurity consulting firms (potential contractors for study)