MPs advocate for increased restrictions on Chinese CCTV cameras
The government has been urged to expand its ban on new Chinese surveillance equipment, which currently only applies to ‘sensitive’ government sites.
MPs have called for a broader ban on Chinese CCTV cameras after a minister clarified that local governments can still use them.
In a written response published on Tuesday, government minister Baroness Neville-Rolfe, who supports the deputy prime minister on cyber security, informed Lord Alton of Liverpool that “While local authorities may choose to follow the lead of central government in removing surveillance equipment, they are not obligated to do so.”
The minister also emphasized that the government encourages all organizations to follow the National Cyber Security Centre’s supply chain security guidance when choosing a technology supplier.
The government defines “sensitive sites” as “any building or complex that routinely holds secret material or above; any location that hosts a significant proportion of officials holding developed vetting clearance; any location which is routinely used by ministers; and any government location covered under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.”
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The Times of London reported earlier this month that almost 6,000 cameras made by companies with links to Beijing were being used in at least 20 council areas in Scotland.
The MP’s comments came after the government sanctioned two Chinese hackers and one entity involved in an attack on the Electoral Commission’s system and an online “reconnaissance” campaign targeting email accounts of MPs and peers.
Mr. O’Brien argued that there’s “no meaningful distinction” between Hikvision and the Chinese regime.
Alicia Kearns, chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, told the outlet, “If we are serious about building up our resilience to hostile states, we need to see policies implemented across society, not just in Whitehall.”
The UK government imposed the ban on Chinese surveillance equipment because Beijing’s National Intelligence Law requires all organizations and citizens to “support, assist, and cooperate with national intelligence efforts.”
Hikvision and Dahua are both known for supplying surveillance equipment used to target Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in China’s Xinjiang region, and were blacklisted by the Trump administration in 2019 for alleged involvement in human rights violations.
While the companies have denied complicity in human rights abuses, Conor Healy, director of government research at industry research group IPVM, stated that Hikvision and Dahua are directly responsible for the events in Xinjiang.
In December 2022, IPVM published a report accusing Hikvision of activating alarms targeting protesters and Falun Gong practitioners, a spiritual group centered on truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.
The Epoch Times has contacted the Cabinet Office for comment.
Hikvision and Dahua did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comments.
In a statement to Politico, Justin Hollis, public affairs director at Hikvision, mentioned that the company will continue engaging with the UK government and the Labour Party to address concerns and clarify any misunderstandings for the safety of the UK.
