24 U.S. Federal Agencies Procured China-Made Surveillance Cameras Barred by US Due to Security Concerns
Various federal government agencies have reported the purchase or use of surveillance cameras made by the Chinese company Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company Ltd, a Chinese state-run company that has been banned by the United States government due to security concerns.
According to responses to an Inquiry of Ministry filed by Bloc Quebecois MP René Villemure, 24 agencies, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), disclosed that they had acquired these cameras. The information was initially reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.
The RCMP confirmed that they had purchased Hikvision cameras but had not deployed them yet.
Several departments and Crown corporations, such as the Canadian Services Agency, the CBC, Canadian Space Agency, and the Coast Guard, as well as the departments of health, immigration, and environment, indicated that they had bought Hikvision cameras but planned to replace them by the end of 2024.
Other entities, like the department of infrastructure, mentioned that they only became aware of their use of Hikvision cameras after MP Villemure’s request for information and were taking steps to replace the surveillance systems.
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The Bank of Canada also acknowledged using Hikvision systems, specifying that they were utilized in “non-public” areas.
The company was banned by the U.S. government in November 2022 due to security concerns as deemed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The UK also barred Hikvision cameras in November 2022 after finding them in use at British army bases despite the ban.
In Canada, Hikvision cameras were discovered in 50 Quebec cities and public facilities in December last year, prompting warnings from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) about their potential espionage use.
Hikvision and its subsidiaries have also faced sanctions from the United States for alleged involvement in the oppression of the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang province, although the company denies these allegations.
