Hikvision reaffirms commitment to UK market following ‘extensive engagement’ with Government

In a statement released on 23 October, Hikvision has reaffirmed its commitment to the UK market after engagement with the Government over the Procurement Bill and receiving clarification from the Cabinet Office on previous policy and the definition of ‘sensitive sites’.

Credit: Lou-Foto/AlamyStock

The response from the Chinese-based video surveillance manufacturer comes after several announcements and policy from the Cabinet Office around removing products that fall under China’s National Intelligence Law from central government departments and sensitive sites.

In June this year, the Cabinet Office committed to a timeline for the removal of relevant cameras, which was itself an extension of the directive in November 2022, instructing government departments to stop new installations of such equipment.

The measures were announced as part of several amendments to the Procurement Bill – currently in its final stages of the legislative process.

In a House of Lords debate on the Bill on 11 September, the Government repeated its commitment to the removal of such physical surveillance equipment from “sensitive sites”.

“National security” has been cited as the motivation behind the policy from Government.

Hikvision’s UK & I division has always maintained it was not a threat to national security, and continues to do so.

What’s changed?

In a statement released on Hikvision’s website on 23 October, however, the company says it is “reconfirming its commitment to the UK market”.

This follows “extensive” engagement with Government, “regulatory clarity from the Procurement Bill”, as well as a letter that had been sent to Hikvision from the Cabinet Office clarifying its position.

The manufacturer outlined that it welcomed “the decision allowing our products to continue being used in private and public sector buildings”.

It also added: “Hikvision cameras will continue to play a key role in promoting public safety in the UK and we have ambitious plans for our technology to play an integral role in powering the future, from transport to health, via our suite of solutions.”

Letter from Government to Hikvision

In a message sent to its customers on the same day, Hikvision said a letter it received directly from the Government confirmed its equipment was not banned from wider public settings.

Within the letter, the aforementioned Cabinet Office policy was said to apply directly to “sensitive sites on the central government estate where security considerations are always paramount – for example, defence and intelligence facilities”.

The term ‘sensitive sites’ was said to be defined “within Government”, but that the definition was not public. IFSEC Insider has approached the Cabinet Office for further clarification on this.

The letter sent to Hikvision explained that policy did “not apply to private individuals or businesses or other public authorities” outside central government – concluding that the “policy did not respond to any specific request for a ‘ban’ on the use of Hikvision products”.

It added that policies were introduced in response to “an internal assessment of emerging threats from the increased sophistication and connectivity of visual surveillance equipment”.

In the message to its customers, Hikvision reaffirmed that it did not present a threat to UK national security, and that the Government’s letter “endorses the security credentials” of its products.

Whitepaper: How cloud-based video surveillance can enable improved security for housing associations

Reliable video surveillance is of paramount importance in enabling housing associations to ensure the safety and security of their communities. However, various challenges hinder the deployment and management of these systems, from scalability issues to data security concerns.

In this whitepaper, learn how a cloud-based video surveillance solution can effectively address such challenges.

What’s covered in this whitepaper?

• Factors affecting the effectiveness of video surveillance in housing
• Consequences of poor video surveillance
• How a cloud-based video management system (VMS) tackles the challenges faced by housing associations today

Get your copy today!