March 24, 2026
Backdoors come home to roost
Country that put backdoors in Cisco routers to spy on world bans foreign routers
Hypocrisy or self‑defense? Internet splits as US blocks new foreign home routers
TLDR: The FCC will no longer approve new foreign-made home routers, citing security risks, while older approved models remain. Commenters are split between calling it hypocrisy—given past US router snooping—and calling it self‑defense, with some noting Cold War‑style geopolitics and others bracing for messy vendor switch‑ups.
The US watchdog just dropped a bomb: the FCC says it won’t approve any new foreign‑made home routers, citing national security, though already‑approved models can still be sold. Officially, a White House security panel said imported boxes could be used to mess with critical infrastructure. Then The Register reminded everyone of that time American spooks were caught slipping spy tools into Cisco gear—and the word “hypocrisy” lit up the thread.
Cue the brawl. One camp isn’t having the hypocrisy charge at all: tptacek fired off the viral line, “If I punch you in the nose, I’m not a hypocrite if I block your punch back,” while mikkupikku echoed that a country that once used an attack route can still try to defend itself. Others waved the “this is just geopolitics” flag, with jdlyga invoking Cold War vibes. Meanwhile, orwin brought the real‑world stress: their company is switching to Siemens routers while keeping some Cisco—translation: more vendors, more headaches.
The thread’s comic relief? A YouTube cautionary tale shared by themafia about a US company buying an Indian operating system for a home router and face‑planting, fueling jokes that “Made here” isn’t automatically “Made secure.” Memes flew: Spider‑Man pointing at Spider‑Man over who backdoored whom, and wisecracks that only Starlink is smiling. For the policy wonks: the FCC’s Covered List is the blacklist in question, and yes, the Cisco‑backdoor saga is right here for your receipts: link.
Key Points
- •The FCC added all foreign-made consumer routers to its Covered List, blocking approval of any new models in the US.
- •Existing consumer router models previously authorized by the FCC can still be imported, sold, and used.
- •The change follows a White House–convened interagency determination aligned with President Trump’s National Security Strategy.
- •The determination cites supply chain vulnerabilities and cybersecurity risks from foreign-produced routers to US infrastructure and defense.
- •The article references past incidents of US intelligence tampering with Cisco routers and mentions prior cyber operations involving routers.