British government agencies were ordered on Thursday (November 24) not to install Chinese-made surveillance cameras in “sensitive locations”. This decision was announced amid greater determination by London towards China and its companies on security concerns. Last week the government ordered a British company to sell its stake in Britain’s leading semiconductor maker.
According to civil rights group Big Brother Watch, most British public institutions use surveillance cameras made by Chinese companies Hikvision or Dahua.
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In July, a group of 67 MPs and Lords (members of the House of Lords) called on London to ban the sale and use of surveillance equipment made by these two companies, some of which have allegedly contributed to human rights abuses.
The government does not go so far as to outright ban these companies. But it advises against the use in the UK of “visual surveillance systems” made by Beijing-owned companies to share information with Chinese security services.
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According to UK authorities, such cameras should not be connected to government agencies’ “core networks” and authorities should consider replacing them rather than awaiting planned upgrades.
A government inquiry concluded that “given the threat to the UK and the growing capacity and connectivity of these systems, additional controls were needed,” Minister Oliver Dowden told Parliament.
“The ministries have therefore been ordered to stop using such devices in sensitive locations if they are manufactured by companies subject to the National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic of China.”