Major retailers such as Wayfair, Target, and Costco are selling security cameras distributed by a company that Florida believes may be sharing American data with the Chinese Communist Party.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issued a subpoena to Lorex on Friday, investigating whether the camera distributor is operating as a proxy for Dahua, a Chinese surveillance corporation that the Federal Communications Commission restricted imports of in 2022, citing national security concerns.
The subpoena follows reports from industry experts analyzing import records, which show that Lorex imported millions of pounds of Dahua products into the United States. Independent analysts have concluded that cameras manufactured by Dahua have severe security lapses that enable hackers, including those affiliated with the Chinese government, to access video and audio feeds — findings that have spurred bans in several countries.
In addition to having its imports restricted by the FCC, Dahua has also allegedly provided goods to the Chinese government in service of its Uyghur genocide and appears on the Department of Defense’s 1260h entity list, which documents corporations that are owned or influenced by China’s People’s Liberation Army, as well as those that are prominent collaborators with the Chinese military.
Dahua previously owned Lorex, with the former selling the latter one day before the FCC announced its restrictions.
Despite the evidence that Lorex distributes cameras that put consumer privacy at risk, U.S. retailers continue to sell their products. A Washington Examiner review identified listings for Lorex-branded cameras on online storefronts managed by Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, Kohl’s, Office Depot, Home Depot, Wayfair, NewEgg, and Target.
Home Depot removed the Lorex cameras from its website after the Washington Examiner reached out about their presence, according to a representative for the company.
Lorex is not Amazon’s only financial link to the Chinese military. The tech giant’s online marketplace lists goods manufactured by a host of corporations that appear on the 1260h entity list and has even accepted funds from such entities to promote their products. Amazon has also waged quiet battles at the state level to fight legislation that would prohibit government offices from using certain Chinese-made goods.
“Florida families deserve straight answers about who touches their data and who controls the code in the devices they put in their homes,” Uthmeier said. “The Chinese Communist Party cannot be allowed to spy on American children. Florida will not tolerate it, and we will hold bad actors accountable.”
Uthmeier encouraged Florida residents who believe they were misled by Lorex to reach out to his office. Indeed, Lorex’s website, at length, touts the security and privacy pedigree of its products, claims that could be viewed as misleading if Lorex were actually selling repackaged Dahua products.
The Florida attorney general is demanding documents from Dahua related to its “ownership and corporate structure, including any intermediate owners and affiliates; the company’s relationships and contracts with third parties involved in manufacturing, firmware, mobile apps, and software updates; and the origins of components used in Lorex camera products sold in Florida.”
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“If Uthmeier finds fraud, lawsuits should commence in all states where such sales of CCP cameras occur,” Michael Lucci, CEO of the national security organization State Armor, said of the subpoena. “Attorneys general must ensure CCP crime doesn’t pay.”
Lorex and the retailers, with the exception of Home Depot, did not respond to requests for comment.
