China Opens Security Review of Palo Alto Products, With No Ban Yet

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published August 6, 2026

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China has opened a formal cybersecurity review of products sold in the country by U.S. company Palo Alto Networks, citing possible risks to critical information infrastructure and national security.

China’s cyberspace regulator said the Cybersecurity Review Office launched the process under the country’s National Security Law, Cybersecurity Law and Cybersecurity Review Measures.

The regulator did not identify the products under examination, describe any specific vulnerability or provide a timetable. It also did not announce a ban or conclude that the company’s technology presents a security threat.

California-based Palo Alto Networks sells network, cloud and enterprise cybersecurity products. It has offices in several Chinese cities but does not separately disclose its revenue or market share in China.

The review comes amid intensifying trade and technology tensions between Beijing and Washington. Chinese authorities reportedly instructed domestic companies in January to stop using cybersecurity software supplied by more than a dozen U.S. and Israeli firms, including Palo Alto Networks.

The action also recalls China’s 2023 review of U.S. chipmaker Micron Technology. Beijing later barred critical infrastructure operators from buying certain Micron products after saying they had failed the review. That precedent does not mean Palo Alto will automatically face the same outcome.

The company did not immediately issue a public response. In practical terms, China has begun a regulatory examination, not imposed a confirmed prohibition. The impact will depend on which products are reviewed and the findings eventually announced.