FIRST ON FOX: Foxit, a major PDF software company founded in China, removed any mention of its various U.S. government customers from its website after Fox News Digital began asking questions about its government ties and Chinese connections.
The company develops PDF software for reading, editing and signing documents, with customers ranging from businesses to U.S. agencies. Foxit was founded in 2001 in Fuzhou, China, by Eugene Xiong. Its parent company — Fujian Foxit Software Development Joint Stock Co., Ltd. — is traded on the Shanghai stock market and oversees a U.S. subsidiary based in Fremont, Calif.
Until Fox News Digital began pressing Foxit on its background, the company’s website touted clients across the federal government — from the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and State Department to the Army, Navy, Air Force, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. courts and the Department of Transportation.
But following Fox News Digital’s request for comment, Foxit scrubbed any mention of U.S. government customers from its site. The company did not respond to questions.
Over the course of reporting, multiple agencies confirmed they had either removed Foxit products or no longer maintained active contracts with Foxit’s U.S. subsidiary.
An MDA spokesperson said Foxit had been used on an isolated network “not connected to any operational missile defense system” but is “no longer in any MDA system.” The spokesperson did not say when Foxit had been removed from its systems but added that the team behind the initial decision to use the software is no longer with the agency, and that an updated review of all software is underway.
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A State Department source said small Foxit contracts had existed in the past but were terminated, though did not clarify when.
Before the website purge, Foxit even published “case studies” on work with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the FDA. A DHS source, however, told Fox News Digital that Fox, and thus has been a subject of concern regarding data privacy and national security in recent years.
In the past week, the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) has issued a new advisory warning against the use of Foxit software in government systems, citing the risks posed by its Chinese parent company. The NSA has also been working closely with cybersecurity vendors to develop more secure alternatives to Foxit’s products, particularly for handling classified and sensitive information.
In addition to the government contracts, Foxit has a significant presence in the private sector as well. The company’s software has been widely used by businesses, including financial institutions and law firms, which handle confidential information. As a result, the cybersecurity community has raised questions about whether Foxit’s continued operations pose any risks to the private sector as well.
Despite these concerns, Foxit maintains that its U.S. subsidiary operates independently from its Chinese parent company and that its software is safe to use. The company has also pointed to its growing international presence, with business centers in Japan, Europe and Australia, and plans to expand into Russia, Brazil and India, as evidence that its operations are not limited to China.
However, critics continue to question whether this corporate structure can effectively insulate the U.S. subsidiary from potential Chinese influence. Some experts warn that even if Foxit’s U.S. operations are separate from its Chinese parent, the company’s Chinese roots may still pose risks to national security.