Hikvision

Sanctions and bans

In January 2019, the U.S. government began considering whether it should sanction Hikvision, which American government officials described as having "provided thousands of cameras that monitor mosques, schools, and concentration camps in Xinjiang."[22][23]

The U.S. government banned Hikvision from receiving federal government contracts in August 2019 due to security concerns.[24][25][26] In October 2019, Hikvision was formally placed on the Entity List by the U.S. government, which stated that it was involved in surveillance of Uyghurs in Xinjiang and of other ethnic and religious minorities in China.[7][27] Hikvision expressed its opposition to the U.S. decision and stated that they believe the decision had no factual basis. They urged the U.S. government to re-examine its decision.[28]

In response to the bans and sanctions, Hikvision has hired former U.S. ambassador Pierre-Richard Prosper "to advise the company regarding human rights compliance"[29] as well as numerous lobbyists, including former U.S. senators David Vitter[30][31] and Barbara Boxer, former U.S. congressman Toby Moffett, and a former senior OFAC official.[32]

In August 2020, the Indian government banned Hikvision from bidding in government tenders and also required removal of Hikvision cameras from military and high-security areas.[33]

In April 2021, the European Parliament confirmed that it had removed Hikvision thermal cameras from its premises following the approval of an amendment sponsored by Dutch MEP Lara Wolters calling for the removal of "all of Hikvision’s thermal cameras from Parliament’s premises" due to "an unacceptable risk that Hikvision, through its operations in Xinjiang, is contributing to serious human rights abuses."[34]

In July 2021, the UK Foreign Affairs Select Committee published a report stating that Hikvision cameras "have been deployed throughout Xinjiang, and provide the primary camera technology used in the internment camps".[35]

In June 2022, documents from the Xinjiang Police Files showed how Hikvision technology is used by Xinjiang police to surveil all Xinjiang residents.[36]

In June 2021, 224 Hikvision products were banned for one year by South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT over forged test reports.[37]

In September 2021, the Indian Navy's headquarters "asked its all formations to 'discontinue' procurement of CCTV cameras and surveillance systems from Hikvision," according to The Week. The Week also reported that the Indian Navy had ordered the replacement and destruction of its existing Hikvision cameras.[38]

In April 2022, the UK Department of Health and Social Care banned the purchase of Hikvision cameras.[39] In November 2022, the UK prohibited the use of Hikvision equipment in government buildings.[40]

In August 2022, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment of New Zealand said that it would stop buying Hikvision cameras.[41]

In February 2023, Australia's Department of Defence announced that it will remove cameras made by Hikvision from its buildings.[42]

In June 2023, Ukraine's National Agency on Corruption Prevention declared Hikvision an "international sponsor of war" for supplying dual-purpose equipment to Russia that can be used for military purposes.[43][44]

In October 2023, Hikvision reportedly recommitted its operations to the United Kingdom after clarifying that the ban on its cameras on sensitive sites does not extend to public authorities or police stations. The use of their security cameras was adopted by U.K. authorities despite opposition from ministers worrying of "security threats". As a response, the U.K. parliament updated the definition of their ban on sensitive sites.[45]

In December 2023, Quebec banned the use of Hikvision technology in government.[46] In January 2024, Taiwanese authorities indicted a Hikvision employee for illegally recruiting and establishing a Hikvision office in Taiwan through a shell corporation.[47][48]

In April 2026, India banned the use of Chinese video surveillance equipment, including CCTV cameras from companies such as Hikvision, citing national security concerns. Th Indian government has expressed worries that these product could be used for espionage, particularly following border tensions with China. The ban impacts government buildings, critical infrastructure, and public sector projects, as part of India's broader efforts to reduce reliance on Chinese technology in sensitive sectors.[49]

United States

In November 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order prohibiting any American company or individual from owning shares in companies that the United States Department of Defense has listed as having links to the People's Liberation Army, which included Hikvision.[50][51][8] In December 2020, Hikvision was removed from FTSE Russell.[52]

On 12 January 2021, the Joe Biden inaugural committee returned a $500 donation to former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) after she registered as a foreign agent for Hikvision.[53]

In March 2021, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) declared that Hikvision services and equipment "pose an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security."[54] After President Joe Biden signed into law the Secure Equipment Act of 2021, in November 2022, the FCC banned sales or import of equipment made by Hikvision for national security reasons.[55]

In March 2023, four Hikvision subsidiaries were added to the United States Department of Commerce's Entity List.[56] In April 2023, BBC News reported that the US Department of Defense believes that Hikvision products are being white labeled and resold to the US government, creating a security risk.[57]

In March 2025, the FCC opened an investigation into Hikvision and other Chinese companies regarding operations in the U.S. in violation of restrictions.[58]

Lobbying

In 2018, Hikvision hired Sidley Austin and The Glover Park Group to lobby the U.S. federal government on its behalf.[59] After having been initially registered under the U.S. Lobbying Disclosure Act from the start of their representation, the US Department of Justice requested Sidley Austin to update their registration under the Foreign Agents Registration Act in 2022. With the updated registration, the firm reported having received approximately $7.4 million in fees between 2018 and 2022, according to Reuters.[60][61]

Canada

In June 2025, the Canadian federal government ordered Hikvision to close its operations in Canada due to national security concerns.[62][63] In September 2025, the Federal Court dismissed a request from Hikvision to have the ruling thrown out.[64]

Contribution to mass surveillance

Hikvision has been accused of supplying cameras for the purpose of surveillance of Palestinians in the West Bank,[65] and in the mass surveillance of Uyghurs[5] and the Xinjiang internment camps.[66]

Cybersecurity vulnerabilities

In May 2017, seven series of Hikvision cameras were affected by an improper authentication vulnerability which, if exploited, could allow "a malicious attacker [to] escalat[e] his or her privileges or assum[e] the identity of an authenticated user and [obtain] sensitive data," according to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.[67]

In May 2021, Italian public broadcaster RAI reported that Hikvision cameras automatically "opened communication channels with addresses registered in China" once connected to the internet.[68] Hikvision declined to comment on the RAI investigation.[68]

In September 2021, Hikvision announced a command injection vulnerability with the CVE-ID CVE-2021-36260.[69]

In 2022, Axios reported that Hikvision had hired FTI Consulting to conduct cybersecurity audits of its products.[70]

Alleged attempts to conceal government ownership

In 2015, IPVM criticized Hikvision for allegedly obscuring its Chinese government ownership.[77] Jeffrey He, president of Hikvision North America, had criticized the online blogger site for allegedly seeking financial gain.[78]

Alan West, in a 2016 interview published by The Times (and re-published by The Australian), suggested that Hikvision's ownership raised ethical and security concerns when it came to the usage of Hikvision's products by the British government.[3]