FIRST ON FOX: Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers is set to file a lawsuit Monday against Resideo, a smart home tech manufacturer, alleging the company misled consumers about the safety and privacy of its devices, Fox News Digital has learned.
Resideo may not be a household name but its security cameras are widely available and could be quietly monitoring homes across the United States.
The 33-page lawsuit, filed in Nebraska state court, alleges the company failed to disclose known security vulnerabilities and national-security risks associated with cameras made by the Chinese manufacturers Hikvision and Dahua.
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According to Hilgers, the cameras are linked to Chinese manufacturers that can be compelled under Chinese law to assist the country's intelligence services. Meanwhile, Americans can purchase the cameras through ADI, Resideo's global distribution network, which the company has marketed as a trusted security provider for homes, businesses, schools and hospitals.
"Nebraskans install security cameras to protect their families, homes and businesses-not to invite hidden surveillance into the most private parts of their lives," Hilgers told Fox News Digital.
"Selling cameras with known security risks while marketing them as 'secure' is deceptive and dangerous. That kind of conduct will not be tolerated in Nebraska," he added.
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The complaint notes that Hikvision and Dahua appear on multiple U.S. government restriction lists, including under the National Defense Authorization Act and by the Federal Communications Commission, over national-security concerns, information the company does not disclose to consumers.
In the lawsuit, Hilgers is asking a judge to require clearer warnings about the cameras, fine the company, refund customers who bought the products, and change how the cameras are advertised.
Hikvision and Dahua did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Hilgers isn't alone in sounding the alarm. Others in the security space say Resideo's products represent a broader national threat.
Michael Lucci, CEO of State Armor, said a win for Nebraska could send a message far beyond the state's borders.
"Companies that refuse to do the right thing for our country should pay the full price for any fraud they perpetuate on the American people," Lucci said. "General Hilgers' leadership should be replicated across all 50 states."
In a statement, Lucci added that "despite state and federal bans on dangerous Chinese Communist Party (CCP) surveillance technologies, some American companies relabel and continue to distribute cheap but dangerous Chinese tech to get around these bans."
"That is exactly what Resideo is doing at the expense of American manufacturers and our national security," Lucci said.
In September, Hilgers sued Lorex, a security camera maker that sells its products through retailers such as Costco and Best Buy, on similar allegations.
The company marketed its cameras as "private by design" and safe for places like children's bedrooms, while concealing that the devices rely on a Chinese firm sanctioned by the U.S. over national security and human rights violations.
Lawmakers from both parties have long raised concerns that the Chinese government exploits educational exchanges, research partnerships and business investments in the U.S. as cover for espionage activities. These warnings have intensified in recent years amid growing scrutiny of Beijing's influence operations on U.S. soil.
