Florida AG Creates Unit to Combat Foreign Adversary Threats

JD Supra Trade Law

Published February 5th, 2026

Detected March 3rd, 2026

Summary

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the creation of the CHINA Prevention Unit to combat threats from foreign adversaries, particularly the Chinese Communist Party, to consumer data privacy and economic security. The unit will audit companies and pursue enforcement actions for violations.

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What changed

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has established the Consumer Harm from International Nefarious Actors ("CHINA") Prevention Unit within the Office of the Attorney General. This new unit aims to identify and combat threats posed by foreign adversaries, such as the Chinese Communist Party, to Florida consumers' data privacy, economic security, and market integrity. The unit will focus on proactive auditing and investigation of companies transmitting Floridians' personal information to countries of concern, with the authority to pursue enforcement actions against violators. This initiative follows the U.S. Department of Justice's regulations implemented in April 2025 to protect sensitive data from foreign adversaries.

Companies operating in Florida, especially in the technology, medical device, and consumer products sectors, should anticipate heightened regulatory scrutiny. The unit has already issued a subpoena to Shein concerning alleged deceptive trade practices and data privacy violations. Regulated entities should assess their data handling practices, particularly concerning cross-border data transfers to countries of concern, and prepare for potential audits and enforcement actions. While no specific compliance deadline is mentioned, the proactive nature of the unit suggests immediate attention is warranted.

What to do next

Review data transfer practices to foreign adversaries
Assess potential exposure to heightened regulatory scrutiny
Prepare for potential audits and enforcement actions

Penalties

Companies found to be "funneling Floridians' personal information to China or other foreign countries of concern" will be held accountable.

Source document (simplified)

March 2, 2026

Florida Attorney General Establishes Dedicated Unit to Combat Foreign Adversary Threats

F. Paul Pittman, Yuhan Wang White & Case LLP + Follow Contact LinkedIn Facebook X Send Embed

On February 5, 2026, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the creation of the Consumer Harm from International Nefarious Actors ("CHINA") Prevention Unit, a new enforcement section within the Office of the Attorney General. The CHINA Prevention Unit represents a notable expansion of Florida's efforts to address perceived threats from the Chinese Communist Party ("CCP"), and other foreign adversaries to consumer data privacy, economic security and market integrity. Companies operating in Florida, particularly those in the technology, medical device and consumer products sectors, should take note of this development and assess their potential exposure to heightened regulatory scrutiny. This development reflects a broader trend of increasing U.S. regulatory focus on cross-border data transfers, an area that has not traditionally been a priority for domestic enforcement authorities.

Overview of the CHINA Prevention Unit

The CHINA Prevention Unit is a dedicated section within the Florida Attorney General's Office focused on identifying and combating threats posed by the CCP and other foreign adversaries. According to AG Uthmeier, the Unit's primary focus will be prevention, with an emphasis on proactive auditing and investigation of companies that may have ties to foreign adversaries or that may be transmitting Floridians' personal information to those countries of concern. 1 The Unit will be formed by "repurposing" existing resources in the AG's office. 2

The Unit's mandate includes: (1) identifying emerging threats from foreign actors; (2) demanding transparency from companies operating in Florida; and (3) pursuing enforcement actions when foreign actors violate applicable laws or take actions that threaten Florida consumers. Attorney General Uthmeier has emphasized that companies found to be "funneling Floridians' personal information to China or other foreign countries of concern" will be held accountable. 3

U.S. Department of Justice Data Security Program Also Addresses Sensitive Data Transfers to Foreign Adversaries

Florida's action comes in the wake of the U.S. Department of Justice implementing regulations in April 2025 "to prevent . . . foreign adversaries from using commercial activities to access and exploit U.S. government-related data and Americans' sensitive, personal data" for espionage, surveillance, military objective or to "otherwise undermine our national security." 4 As we previously analyzed in detail here, the DOJ's final rule implemented Executive Order 14117 to protect U.S. national security by addressing the threat of countries of concern (China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Venezuela) using bulk sensitive personal data to develop artificial intelligence capabilities, conduct espionage, blackmail and target individuals with links to the federal government. Florida is the first U.S. state to announce its own dedicated initiative to investigate and enforce potential data privacy violations by foreign adversaries.

Florida's CHINA Prevention Unit: Initial Enforcement Actions and Targets

As an initial action, the CHINA Prevention Unit has issued a subpoena to Shein, the fast-fashion e-commerce company, concerning alleged deceptive trade practices and data privacy violations affecting Florida consumers. This action indicates the Unit's intent to scrutinize companies with significant consumer reach and potential data privacy concerns.

Additionally, AG Uthmeier has directed the Unit to demand audits of medical device companies with alleged ties to the China government. The companies identified in this initial audit demand 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 Florida AG's office sent these companies letters requiring disclosure of any connections they have to the Chinese government and of any instances where they "have been asked or compelled by the Chinese government or by other offices of the Chinese government to share data, proprietary information or technical specifications regarding operations in China, the US or other countries." 5

AG Uthmeier stated in announcing the CHINA Prevention Unit that it builds on prior enforcement actions he has taken since assuming office. These prior actions include subpoenas issued to Lorex (producer of internet-connected security systems and baby monitors) for alleged unlawful data practices with ties to China; subpoenas issued to Contec (medical device manufacturer) for allegedly routing sensitive patient monitoring data through Chinese servers; subpoenas issued to TP-Link (Wi-Fi router manufacturer) over cybersecurity vulnerabilities and alleged data sharing concerns. 6

Key Takeaways and Recommendations

Companies operating in Florida should consider the following in light of the new unit:

Assess Supply Chain and Corporate Relationships: Evaluate supply chains, corporate ownership structures and business relationships for connections to entities in China or other countries that may be designated as foreign adversaries. This may be particularly critical for companies in the medical device, technology and consumer goods sectors.
Anticipate Subpoenas and Audit Demands: Ensure sufficient compliance infrastructure to respond to any demands promptly and thoroughly.
Monitor Regulatory Developments: Florida's initiative may serve as a model for other states. Companies should monitor developments in other jurisdictions that may adopt similar enforcement frameworks targeting foreign adversary influence. The creation of the CHINA Prevention Unit represents a notable escalation in state-level enforcement activity targeting foreign adversary influence in consumer markets. Companies with operations or customers in Florida should assess their compliance posture and be prepared for increased regulatory attention in this area.

1 Office of the Attorney General, Press Release, Attorney General James Uthmeier Launches CHINA Prevention Unit to Counter Foreign Adversaries and Protect Floridians' Data, Feb. 5, 2026, available at https://www.myfloridalegal.com/newsrelease/attorney-general-james-uthmeier-launches-china-prevention-unit-counter-foreign.
2 Drew Dixon, James Uthmeier Launches New Investigative Unit Looking Into Chinese Business Activity, The Miami Times, Feb. 6, 2026, available at https://www.miamitimesonline.com/business/james-uthmeier-launches-new-investigative-unit-looking-into-chinese-business-activity/article_6c22e931-f1a4-455c-9384-c90f980c3659.html
3 Id.
4 Office of Public Affairs, U.S. Dep't of Justice, Press Release, Justice Department Implements Critical National Security Program to Protect Americans' Sensitive Data from Foreign Adversaries, Apr. 11, 2025, available at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-implements-critical-national-security-program-protect-americans-sensitive.
5 James Uthmeier, Letter from State of Floride Attorney General to Wayne Quinn, President Mindray North America (Feb. 5, 2026), https://www.myfloridalegal.com/sites/default/files/2025-09/letter-to-mindray-0202.pdf [last visited Feb. 13, 2026].
6 Office of the Attorney General, Press Release, Attorney General James Uthmeier Launches CHINA Prevention Unit to Counter Foreign Adversaries and Protect Floridians' Data, Feb. 5, 2026.

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DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.
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