Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway filed a lawsuit Monday against Lorex, a baby monitor manufacturer accused of concealing its links to the Chinese military.
Lorex holds ties to Zhejiang Dahua Technology, which the Pentagon designated as a Chinese military company in 2022. Furthermore, Lorex’s hardware and software routes straight to Dahua, giving China access to the data and security of Missouri residents.
Dahua previously owned Lorex before Taiwan-based Skywatch Innovation took over the baby monitor maker.
Missouri alleges that Lorex withheld information on its material ties to the Chinese government from consumers and retailers in the state.
Lorex sells its products at physical stores owned by Best Buy, Staples, Costco, Menards, Micro Center, and Office Depot, and online through its own website, Amazon, and other third-party retailers, according to the Republican attorney general’s office.
“Lorex tells families its video cameras are ‘private by design’ while concealing ties to a Chinese military company,” Hanaway said in a statement. “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.”
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The lawsuit invokes Missouri’s Merchandising Practices Act, which shields consumers from the intentional omission of material facts in connection with the sale or advertisement of any product, to seek legal remedies. Hanaway is seeking up to $1,000 for each Missouri citizen who bought a Lorex camera over the past five years, damages exceeding $1.8 million, and injunctive relief against Lorex.
Missouri is not the only state fighting for consumer protection against this particular company. Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers sued Lorex last year for deceiving customers, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a similar lawsuit earlier this year.