The Canadian government on Friday ordered Chinese video surveillance device maker Hikvision to cease all operations in the country, on national security grounds.
Headquartered in Hangzhou, China, and partly state-owned, Hikvision Digital Technology Co., Ltd., known internationally as Hikvision, manufactures and sells CCTV systems for civilian and military purposes.
On Friday, Canada’s Minister of Industry Mélanie Joly announced that Hikvision’s Canadian branch is no longer allowed to conduct business in the country, after a national security review determined that the company’s operations would harm national security.
“This determination is the result of a multi-step review that assessed information and evidence provided by Canada’s security and intelligence community,” Joly stated.
“In addition to this action, the Government of Canada is prohibiting the purchase and use of Hikvision products in government departments, agencies, and crown operations. The Government of Canada is further conducting a review of existing properties to ensure that legacy Hikvision products are not used going forward,” she continued.
In response, Hikvision Canada Inc. said the decision is based on unfounded allegations of national security, arguing that its products comply with the country’s laws and regulations, while meeting strict security requirements.
“We strongly disagree with this decision and view it with deep concern, as we believe it lacks a factual basis, procedural fairness, and transparency,” the company said.
“Instead of evaluating our technology on its cybersecurity merits, the decision appears to be driven by the parent company’s country of origin, reflecting broader geopolitical tensions and an unjustified bias against Chinese companies,” it continued.
Hikvision Canada also noted that it fully cooperated with government parties throughout the review process and that the ban was decided without evidence and without considering the facts provided.
“We urge the Canadian government to base its actions on facts rather than prejudice, and to uphold a fair, transparent environment for all businesses and investors,” the company said.
In the United States, the government has been trying for several years to remove China-made equipment from the country’s networks over concerns that they could allow the Chinese government to spy on the US.
Hikvision and other Chinese firms (including Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Pacifica Networks, Dahua, China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom) have been added to a Covered List because their offerings pose an unacceptable risk to national security.
Government funding for their products and services has been cut off, they have been banned from operating in the country, and the FCC has invested billions of dollars in a ‘rip-and-replace’ program that helps small telecom firms replace Chinese equipment. However, the FCC announced recently that it has launched a probe into whether these companies are still operating in the US.
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