Do TP-Link routers share information?

Chinese TP-Link, which has become one of the most important players in the personal network equipment market, is facing a serious claim. It is alleged that data traffic is shared in router products without permission.

TP-Link routers risk?

Routers can offer different functions such as prioritizing connections, making them efficient and ensuring security, unlike traditional modems. In terms of security, manufacturers often cooperate with third-party companies.

Asus-Trend Micro, Netgear-Bitdefender examples, TP-Link also collaborates with Avira or Trend Micro by region for security solutions. However, it has been detected that TP-Link HomeCare solution still sends data traffic to Avira even if the permission is removed.

According to the topic discussed on Reddit, many users have witnessed such traffic sharing. Moreover, it is stated that up to 80,000 requests are made per day. TP-Link, on the other hand, argued that Avira controls the traffic whether or not it subscribes to service subscriptions.

This issue came up in some reviews last year, and TP-Link stated that it would release an update on it. However, no action has been taken. According to the latest laws of the European Union, it is forbidden to share personal data with third parties without permission. This can have bad consequences for both Avira and TP-Link. The routers in question generally include 802.11ax/WiFi 6 technology, and some of them are in the Deco mesh network series.