Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has filed a lawsuit against Lorex Corporation, a major seller of home security cameras and baby monitors, alleging the company concealed material connections to the Chinese military through its manufacturer and supplier while marketing its products to consumers across Missouri.
According to the lawsuit, Lorex maintained ties to Dahua, its former owner and an ongoing supplier of components, despite the U.S. Department of Defense designating Dahua as a Chinese Military Company that poses a threat to national security.
The Attorney General’s Office alleges that Lorex failed to disclose those connections to consumers and retailers while continuing to market its products as secure and privacy-focused.
“The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world,” Hanaway said in her announcement of the lawsuit. “Missouri will not allow the CCP to put its hand on our cradles. Parents place these cameras over cribs and in bedrooms to protect their children, not to invite a foreign adversary into their homes.”
The lawsuit alleges that researchers who analyzed Lorex firmware found it routed directly to Dahua, which the Attorney General’s Office says provides evidence of Dahua’s involvement and influence over device hardware and software.
The state contends that these connections could allow the Chinese government access to data and security information associated with devices used by Missouri consumers.
Hanaway’s office further alleges that Lorex misrepresented and omitted key facts about its relationship with Dahua, not only to consumers but also to retailers responsible for evaluating products sold in stores.
Those omissions concealed both Dahua’s role in the products and what the state characterizes as a broader national security threat linked to the Chinese Communist Party, Hanaway said.
Lorex products are sold through several major retailers, including Best Buy, Staples, Costco, Menards, Micro Center and Office Depot, as well as through the company’s website, Amazon and other third-party online retailers.
“Lorex tells families its video cameras are ‘private by design’ while concealing ties to a Chinese military company,” Hanaway said. “These cameras watch our babies breathe, capture our children’s voices, and record families’ most intimate moments. When companies won’t tell the truth about their connection to hostile foreign governments, my office will step in to protect families.”
The lawsuit was filed in Jefferson Circuit Court and seeks remedies under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act.
The Attorney General’s Office is seeking restitution of up to $1,000 for each Missouri consumer who purchased a Lorex camera during the past five years.
The lawsuit also seeks damages exceeding $1.8 million and injunctive relief that would prohibit what the state describes as continued illegal and false statements regarding product security.
The Attorney General’s Office noted previous litigation against the People’s Republic of China and the CCP, including Missouri’s effort to secure a $24 billion judgment related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, that judgment prompted a defamation lawsuit against Missouri in the Court of Wuhan, China.
The Chinese government allegedly claimed Missouri caused $50.5 billion in economic and reputational losses and described the state as a “reputational menace.”
Hanaway’s office said the lawsuit against Lorex is part of a broader effort to protect Missouri residents from foreign adversaries and alleged threats to privacy and security within American homes.
The Attorney General stated that her office intends to continue pursuing actions against China and other foreign entities it believes pose risks to Americans.
“Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway will not allow anyone to turn our homes into surveillance sites and will continue fighting to protect American soil from foreign adversaries,” Hanaway said. “Her office will continue pushing forward in the fight to hold China and any foreign threat to account.”
