British government agencies were ordered on Thursday to stop installing Chinese-made surveillance cameras in “sensitive” and strategic locations.
The move comes at a time when the UK government is taking a tougher stance against China and its companies for security reasons. Last week it ordered a Chinese company to sell most of Newport Wafer Fab, Britain’s largest semiconductor maker.
This is reported by the campaign group Big Brother watchmost public organizations in the UK use CCTV cameras from Hikvision or Dahua.
In July, a group of 67 parliamentarians and gentlemen demanded the government to ban the sale and use of surveillance equipment from the two companies, the products of which are implicated in rights violations against Xinjiang’s Uyghur minority.
The government’s new order didn’t stop the companies outright banning, but it discouraged Britain’s use of “visual surveillance systems” made by companies that are required by Chinese law to share intelligence with Beijing’s security services. These rooms should not be linked to “core networks” in government departments and ministries should consider replacing them rather than waiting for planned upgrades.
A government review concluded that, “in light of the threat to the UK and the growing capacity and connectivity of these systems, additional controls are needed”Minister Oliver Dowden told parliament. “Therefore, the departments have been ordered to stop deploying such equipment in sensitive locations where it is produced by companies subject to the National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic of China.”he added.
Some UK government departments are already removing Hikvision equipment after one of the company’s cameras captured then-Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock kissing an adviser, in violation of covid-19 rules, leading to the ruler’s resignation.
In response to Dowden’s statement, a company spokesperson said that it is “absolutely untrue that Hikvision poses a threat to national security” and that the company “you cannot pass on user data to third parties”🇧🇷 “We don’t manage user databases or sell cloud storage in the UK”creased.
“We have always been fully transparent about our UK activities and have spoken to the UK Government to clear up any misunderstandings about the company and its activities and to address their concerns. to understand.the spokesperson added.
Source: DN
