UMVA has learned that Missouri's top law enforcement official is taking aim at a major surveillance technology company over alleged hidden ties to the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese military.
The company, a popular manufacturer of baby monitors, home security cameras, and surveillance systems sold by major American retailers, is being sued for allegedly concealing material ties to the CCP and Chinese military. Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway claims that families and retailers are being lied to about the company's connections.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the company's products have maintained deep ties to a Chinese company, even after it was designated a Chinese Military Company that poses a direct threat to U.S. national security. Researchers found that the company's firmware routes straight back to servers controlled by the Chinese company, giving the CCP potential real-time access to intimate moments inside American homes.
These cameras, sold at major retailers including Costco, Best Buy, and Amazon, are used to watch babies breathe in their cribs, record children's voices, and capture family life in bedrooms and living rooms across Missouri and the country. Attorney General Hanaway said that Missouri will not allow the CCP to put its hand on American families' cradles.
The lawsuit, brought under Missouri's Merchandising Practices Act, seeks up to $1,000 in restitution for every Missouri consumer who purchased a camera in the last five years, plus more than $1.8 million in damages and a court order barring the company from continuing its deceptive practices. This is not Hanaway's first fight with the CCP, as she has aggressively pursued Missouri's historic judgment against the People's Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party for unleashing COVID-19 on the world.
Hanaway has vowed to protect families from what she sees as a threat to their safety and security. The lawsuit is a significant development in the ongoing scrutiny of Chinese companies and their ties to the Chinese government.
The case raises serious concerns about the potential risks of Chinese surveillance technology being used in American homes. As the lawsuit moves forward, it is likely to have far-reaching implications for the use of such technology in the United States.
