Attorney General James Uthmeier has announced the creation of the Consumer Harm from International Nefarious Actors (CHINA) Prevention Unit within the Florida Office of the Attorney General. The new unit will focus on addressing threats to Florida consumers, data privacy, and economic security posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and other foreign adversaries.
“Florida will not allow foreign adversaries to exploit our markets, steal our data, and threaten our security,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “The focus of this new office will be prevention, which is why we are sending letters to multiple medical device manufacturers to audit and identify any ties with the Chinese Communist Party. If a company is funneling Floridians’ personal information to China or other foreign countries of concern, we will hold them accountable.”
Ambassador (ret.) Kelley Currie from the State Armor Advisory Board commented on the initiative: “Attorney General Uthmeier’s fraud enforcement protects Florida families and America’s national security. The same Chinese cameras going on baby cribs are also being attached to critical infrastructure, beaconing data and backdoors to Beijing. China’s Communist Party pre-programs their medical devices, routers, batteries, televisions and car controls to facilitate remote espionage and even sabotage. These products are subsidized and sold to Florida consumers under false pretenses with fake labeling, defrauding Florida families and endangering our security. Attorney General Uthmeier’s legal counterattack provides essential leadership to protect the Free State of Florida and must be replicated across the country.”
Joe Gebbia Sr., Founder and CEO of State Shield, added: “Florida is showing the nation what America First policy looks like at the state level. The Chinese Communist Party and other hostile foreign adversaries are targeting our city halls and state capitals. Attorney General Uthmeier has taken a bold step in defending Floridians from this new kind of attack. Every state should follow Florida’s lead and help protect America, one state at a time.”
The CHINA Prevention Unit expands upon previous actions by Attorney General Uthmeier against companies with alleged connections to foreign entities:
– Lorex: subpoena issued over alleged unlawful data practices linked to China.
– Contec: subpoenas issued for allegedly routing sensitive patient monitoring data through Chinese servers.
– TP-Link: subpoenas issued due to concerns about cybersecurity vulnerabilities and alleged data sharing.
– Crackdown on Central Florida smoke shops selling illegal Chinese-made vapes.
– Recovery of $23,000 stolen from an active-duty U.S. service member in a fraud scheme traced to China.
– Seizure of $1.5 million in cryptocurrency laundered by a Chinese national.
Additionally, Attorney General Uthmeier recently won an appellate court case upholding a law that prevents CCP ownership of land in Florida.
As one of its first actions, the CHINA Prevention Unit has subpoenaed fast-fashion company Shein over allegations regarding deceptive trade practices and violations affecting consumer data privacy in Florida.
The unit has also been directed to demand audits from several medical device companies suspected of ties with the CCP. These companies include Mindray North America, United Imaging, MicroPort, Edan Instruments, Lepu Medical Tech, Shinva Medical Instruments, Neusoft Medical Systems, Longest Medical, and Jiangsu Yuyue Medical.
The CHINA Prevention Unit aims to identify emerging threats related to foreign actors operating in Florida’s markets while demanding transparency from companies doing business in the state.
The Office of the Attorney General offers various resources for community safety—including programs for seniors and military members—and focuses on protecting residents from fraud through educational efforts and consumer alerts as outlined on its official website https://www.myfloridalegal.com/. The office works statewide in public service roles such as consumer protection initiatives and collaborates with law enforcement agencies through campaigns like Back the Blue Campaign. Residents can access services such as complaint submissions or receive alerts about scams or pricing issues via https://www.myfloridalegal.com/.