PanamaTimes

Friday, Mar 29, 2024

UK government bans new Chinese security cameras

UK government bans new Chinese security cameras

Government departments have been told to stop installing surveillance cameras made by Chinese companies on "sensitive sites" because of security concerns.

The new policy applies to "visual surveillance systems" made by firms required by Chinese law to co-operate with Beijing's security services.

The government announced the move amid concerns among MPs about the use of such equipment.

Officials have been told to consider removing existing equipment entirely.

They have also been instructed that such surveillance systems should not be connected to departmental core networks.

In a written statement, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Oliver Dowden told MPs a review "has concluded that, in light of the threat to the UK and the increasing capability and connectivity of these systems, additional controls are required".

He said these related to equipment produced by companies subject to China's national intelligence law, which says organisations must "support, co-operate with, and collaborate in national intelligence work".

Mr Dowden said: "Since security considerations are always paramount around these sites, we are taking action now to prevent any security risks materialising."

Officials have been urged to consider whether locations that are not designated "sensitive" should follow suit.

Asked why the government was not ordering the replacement of all existing surveillance equipment made by Chinese companies, a spokeswoman for the prime minister said the issue was "under constant review and this is a preventative step that's been taken in line with that approach".

The move is a response to concerns raised by MPs and a surveillance watchdog, who warned in June that the public surveillance infrastructure had been built on "digital asbestos".

The government's independent biometrics and surveillance camera commissioner Fraser Sampson said: "Almost every aspect of our lives is now under surveillance using advanced systems designed by, and purchased from, companies under the control of other governments, governments to whom those companies have data-sharing obligations within their own domestic legal framework."

He said this meant there was a need both for "considerable caution when handling the products installed by a previous generation and, as a priority, a moratorium on any further installation until we fully understand the risks we have created".


Conservative MP Alicia Kearns chairs the China Research Group of Tory MPs concerned about security risks from Beijing

The Commons foreign affairs committee has previously called for the prohibition of equipment manufactured by Hikvision and other companies reported to have had their cameras deployed in internment camps in China's Xinjiang province.

It was reported that Hikvision cameras were used inside the Department of Health and Social Care, when security concerns were raised over leaked CCTV showing then-Health Secretary Matt Hancock kissing an aide in 2021.

Alicia Kearns, who chairs the foreign affairs committee and the China Research Group of Conservative MPs, welcomed the move as "a step in the right direction" but said it should go further.

She called for public bodies and local authorities to stop buying equipment from surveillance companies such as Hikvision.

A spokesman for the firm said: "It is categorically false to represent Hikvision as a threat to national security.

"No respected technical institution or assessment has come to this conclusion.

"Hikvision cannot transmit data from end-users to third parties, we do not manage end-user databases, nor do we sell cloud storage in the UK. Our cameras are compliant with the applicable UK rules and regulations and are subject to strict security requirements.

"We have always been fully transparent about our operations in the UK and have been engaging with the UK government to clarify misunderstandings about the company, our business, and address their concerns. We will seek to urgently engage further with ministers to understand this decision."

Comments

Oh ya 1 year ago
Must be the UK government does not want
competition in spying on UK citizens

Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
Apple warns against drying iPhones with rice
In a recent High Court hearing, the U.S. argued that Julian Assange endangered lives by releasing classified information.
Global Law Enforcement Dismantles Lockbit Ransomware Operation
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died at the Arctic prison colony
The President of Argentina Javier Mile does not fly private, he flies commercial, with the citizens he represents. And they LOVE him for it.
Bitcoin Reaches $50,000 for First Time in Over Two Years
Belo Horizonte: Brazil's Rising Carnival Hotspot for 2024
In El Salvador, the 'Trump of Latin America' stuns the world with a speech slamming woke policing after winning a landslide election
Tucker’s interview with Putin is over 50M views on X within the first 5 hours.
Finnish Airline, Finnair, is voluntarily weighing passengers to better estimate flight cargo weight
President Nayib Bukele has proudly announced El Salvador's remarkable achievement of becoming the safest nation in the Western Hemisphere.
Former Chilean President Sebastian Piñera Dies in Helicopter Crash
This farmer seems to understand science a bit more than the event organizer, Klaus Schwab.
Facebook turns 20: From Mark Zuckerberg's dormitory to a $1trn company
The Coolest Dictator in the World" on the Path to Victory in El Salvador
Macron, France and fake news
Indian-Origin Man 'King' Arrested For Smuggling $16 Million Drugs Into US
Can someone teach Americans that not every person with slanted eyes is Chinese?
Europe's Farmers Feeding the People, Protesting Against Politicians Who Do Nothing for Their Country and Serve Only Themselves at Taxpayers' Expense
Paris Restaurant That Inspired 'Ratatouille' Loses $1.6 Million Worth Of Wine
Brazilian Police Investigate Bolsonaro's Son for Alleged Illegal Spying
Police in Brazil Raid Residence of Bolsonaro Associate Over Allegations of Illegal Spying
Border Dispute Escalates as Texas Governor Vows Increased Razor Wire
OpenAI Enhances ChatGPT-4 Model, Potentially Addressing AI "Laziness" Issue
The NSA finally acknowledges spying on Americans by acquiring sensitive data
Report Reveals Toxic Telegram Group Generating X-Rated AI-Generated Fake Images of Taylor Swift
US Border Patrol States 'No Plans' to Remove Razor Wire Installed in Texas
Bitcoin Experiences Approximately 20% Decline in Value
Klaus Schwab recently appointed himself as the Earth's "trustee of the future."
DeSantis Drops Out, Endorses Trump.
Nikki Haley said former President Trump is "just not at the same level" of mental fitness as he was while president in 2016.
Residents of a southern Mexican town set the government palace on fire in response to the police killing of a young man
Samsung Launches AI-Driven Galaxy S24, Ushering in New Smartphone Era
Judge Questions SEC's Regulatory Overreach in Coinbase Lawsuit
The Ecuador prosecutor who was investigating the television studio attack, has been assassinated.
Is artificial intelligence the solution to cyber security threats?
Vivek Ramaswamy suspends his US election campaign and endorses Trump.
Viral Satire: A Staged Satirical Clip Mistaken as Real Footage from the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos
The AI Revolution in the Workforce: CEOs at Davos Predict Major Job Cuts in 2024
Ecuador Reports 178 Hostages in Prison Gang Standoff
The Startling Cuban Espionage Case That Has Rattled the US Government
Two Armed Men in Ecuador, Dressed as Batman and The Joker Storm the Streets.
Armed Gang Raids Ecuadorian TV Station Following State of Emergency Declaration
Anti-Democratic Canada: Journalist Arrested for Questioning Canadian Finance Minister on Support of Terrorist Group
Ecuador's 'Most-Wanted' Criminal Vanishes from Prison
Mexican Cartel Supplied Wi-Fi to Locals Under Threat of Fatal Consequences for Non-Compliance
Border Surge Leads to Over 11,000 Migrants Waiting in Northern Mexico
Outsider Candidates Triumph in Latin American Elections
As Argentina Goes to the Polls, Will the Proposal to Replace the Peso with the Dollar Secure Votes?
Fatal Shark Attack Claims Life of Boston Woman Paddleboarding Near Bahamas Resort, According to Police
×