Attorney General James Uthmeier has issued a subpoena to a Chinese medical device manufacturer and its U.S. reseller as part of an investigation into alleged cybersecurity risks and deceptive marketing practices tied to patient monitors sold in the state.

The subpoena targets Contec, a China-based company with a U.S. branch in Illinois, and Epsimed, a Miami-based firm that rebranded and distributed Contec’s monitors under its own name. According to Uthmeier, the companies may have misrepresented the safety and regulatory status of their devices, which are used in healthcare settings.

State officials allege the devices contain a built-in backdoor allowing unauthorized access and manipulation of patient data, as well as programming that transmits data to an IP address registered to a university in China. Federal agencies have previously advised providers to disconnect similar equipment due to cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

“Medical devices that record patient data must be secure and should not send data to entities controlled by the Chinese Communist Party,” said Attorney General Uthmeier. “Protecting Americans’ sensitive, personal data from our enemies is paramount, and my office will get to the bottom of this deception.”

The Attorney General’s office is investigating potential violations of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. Allegations include false claims that the monitors were FDA-approved, assertions that the devices met international safety standards despite serious flaws, and omissions about the devices’ data security risks.