Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sounded the alarm over potential national security risks tied to consumer technology, issuing a subpoena to Lorex Corp., a leading maker of baby monitors and security cameras.
The subpoena demands detailed records on the company’s ownership, manufacturing contracts and any links to Chinese firms that could put Americans’ data and privacy at risk.
Amid mounting concerns over foreign surveillance, Uthmeier cautioned that relabeled products from Chinese manufacturers could allow the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) access to sensitive information.
Though North American-based, Lorex has imported equipment from Dahua, a Chinese company banned in the U.S. due to national security threats and alleged human rights violations.
“What consumers do not know is that data might be shared with the Chinese military. Imagine that. Footage of your baby in a crib going to the Chinese government. This is unacceptable. It is a national security issue, and it will not be tolerated,” Uthmeier said in a statement shared on X.
The subpoena, issued Friday, also seeks records detailing Lorex’s corporate structure, manufacturing agreements, software and firmware updates, cloud platform providers, data center locations and any known security vulnerabilities or breaches.
Officials are requesting information on the source of components used in Lorex products sold throughout Florida.
Dahua took ownership of Lorex in 2018 before selling the company to Taiwan-based Skywatch roughly three years later.
The Pentagon added Dahua to a 2022 list of 13 firms tied to the Chinese military, banning its products from U.S. markets.
The Commerce Department previously identified Dahua for alleged human rights abuses, including forced labor involving Uighur minorities.
In 2023, Australia discovered roughly 1,000 Dahua cameras in government offices, prompting a comprehensive security review, according to Just the News.
Legislative measures highlight the growing concern.
In June, Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R) introduced the Drones for America Act, which aims to ban Chinese-made drones and components by 2031 while implementing phased tariffs to remove them from the U.S. market. The bill remains in committee.
Experts have praised Uthmeier’s decisive action.
“The use of surveillance equipment produced by CCP-linked companies is a direct threat to the privacy of every American who uses such products, and is an unacceptable national security risk,” Michael Lucci, CEO of State Armor, said.
“It’s time for state and federal law enforcement across the country to follow Uthmeier’s lead and peel back the CCP ties of sensitive surveillance technologies that are flooding our country.”
At the federal level, officials continue to warn about CCP-linked technology.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described China’s cyber-espionage campaigns during her confirmation hearing as “extremely dangerous,” noting attempts to infiltrate critical U.S. infrastructure.
Experts say consumer technology is also at risk.
ABC News reported that the AI tool DeepSeek contained code capable of sending data to the Chinese government, and former ByteDance employees alleged TikTok’s Beijing-based operations accessed global user data for political purposes.
TikTok’s potential U.S. ban has been repeatedly delayed.
The Florida investigation could uncover illegal activity and prevent sensitive American data from falling into foreign hands.
In a move seen as setting a national precedent, Uthmeier hopes other states and federal agencies will follow his lead in safeguarding consumers from potential foreign surveillance threats.
WATCH:
