Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) urged federal agencies to investigate Chinese electronics maker Anker Innovations, alleging “unacceptable risks to U.S. national security” in a March 2 letter.

Anker, which has a subsidiary in the United States, is a leading mobile charging devices manufacturer, and also makes 3-D printers, speakers, and smart home devices. The lawmakers singled out the company’s Eufy line of home security products as an alleged risk to consumers and national security, pointing to a 2025 case where the state of New York sued over cybersecurity issues related to Eufy cameras.

“At worst, Anker could introduce foreign surveillance and destructive capabilities into American households. At best, it is leveraging anti-competitive practices to gain a controlling position in a strategic U.S. supply chain,” the letter, addressed to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Commerce, reads.

Anker did not respond to an inquiry from The Epoch Times by publication time.

Encryption Issues

New York investigated Eufy home security cameras following a 2022 report by a security researcher indicating that video streams were not being encrypted as claimed, and feeds were being streamed without authentication on publicly accessible URLs.

Anker made public statements at the time apologizing for what it described as an “error” and saying the public links were temporary.

The New York investigation found that videos sent over the internet by those cameras were not protected by end-to-end encryption as claimed, and a portion of the transfers did not use any encryption at all. According to the state attorney general’s office, active video streams could also be accessed without authentication by anyone with the relevant link.

Following the investigation, the state of New York sued three companies selling Eufy cameras. In January 2025, Fantasia Trading, Power Mobile Life LLC, and Smart Innovation agreed to pay $450,000 in a settlement. Anker was not sued directly.

Data Risk

The lawmakers said the amount of information these devices collect and transmit poses a security risk, making them a target for data collection.

“These devices can transmit audio, video, and metadata over the internet, providing potential vectors for both remote surveillance network mapping, and traffic analysis,” the letter reads.

In addition to cyberespionage risks, the lawmakers noted that the Chinese communist regime has rules that require all organizations and citizens in China to support, assist, and cooperate with regime intelligence efforts.

This creates “a legally binding pathway” for the Chinese regime and military to compel Anker to disclose user data on demand, the lawmakers wrote.

The devices could also target U.S. military personnel, the lawmakers suggested, as current and former service members are offered 20 percent discounts on them.

“While these are retail sales, rather than direct Department of War procurement, the FCC has previously noted that the presence of high-risk network-connected devices in sensitive physical locations can constitute a security risk,” the lawmakers wrote.

The lawmakers also raised the possibility of unfair trade practices, noting that Anker received $12 million in subsidies from the Chinese regime in 2023.