![]() His report warns: “It is clear that the full capability of some of the technology owned by some respondents is not fully understood, be that at the point of purchase or further down the line when software updates are downloaded.” “Chinese companies can easily deliver system upgrades to such cameras which would allow them to record the video or audio and download them to Chinese servers,” he said. For example, CCTV cameras could easily be upgraded remotely to be able to read vehicle registration plates. The report highlights a particular risk that systems could download automatic software upgrades enabling them to carry out surveillance that was not originally advertised as a capability. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. ![]() For more information see our Privacy Policy. Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. In 2019, it was one of 28 companies placed on a US trade blacklist, as officials in Washington accused it of being implicated in “human rights violations and abuses”.Īt least two police forces said they used Hikvision cameras in their bodycams, which Sampson warned could be used to send data back to Beijing. The UK is one of Hikvision’s biggest markets, but the company has come under scrutiny in recent years for its role in providing cameras to the Chinese government for use in Xinjiang. Hikvision, the world’s largest maker of surveillance equipment, is the biggest supplier of such products to British police. Nuuo did not respond to a request to comment. Honeywell cameras have previously been found to contain parts made by Huawei, while Sampson said officers had found the same to be true of those made by Nuuo. The Taiwanese company is Nuuo, and the US company is Honeywell. ![]() ![]() The Chinese firms are Hikvision, Dahua and Huawei. Of the five companies, three are Chinese, one Taiwanese and one American. Most of those – 39 – responded, 24 of which said they use CCTV cameras within their buildings made by one of five companies that are either Chinese or, the commissioner’s office believes, use multiple Chinese parts.Įighteen forces said they used equipment made by those companies in external CCTV systems, while 11 said they did so for number plate recognition cameras. Sampson’s office surveyed all 43 police forces in England and Wales, asking them about the technology they use in drones, helicopters, body cameras, traffic cameras and other types of surveillance equipment. Younger told the BBC’s Today programme western nations were “under full press of Chinese espionage”. His comments came after Sir Alex Younger, the former head of MI6, said the UK should “wake up” to the threat posed by China, following last week’s decision by Washington to shoot down a balloon officials believed to be carrying out surveillance. ![]() He added that using Chinese-made cameras also presents ethical concerns, since some have been implicated in helping the Chinese government monitor detainment camps for Uyghurs in Xinjiang province. If you buy a system like this, you have to be able to trust the company you are buying from.” Sampson said: “There are major security concerns with a lot of these cameras, both in terms of the technology they contain and what happens to the data that comes from them. And it comes just three months after the government banned Chinese CCTV systems on government property. The report comes a day after the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, warned that British jets are on standby to shoot down Chinese surveillance balloons if any are spotted in UK airspace. Fraser Sampson, the publicly appointed commissioner, warned that such equipment poses both security and ethical concerns, at a time when tensions with Beijing are already high. ![]()
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