Police use of Chinese camera tech criticised by surveillance watchdog

Police usage of cameras made by Chinese firms should beryllium astatine slightest arsenic concerning a information contented arsenic alleged Chinese spy balloons, a watchdog caput has said.

Forces were utilizing kit contempt acknowledging "security and ethical concerns" astir suppliers, UK Camera Commissioner Prof Fraser Sampson said.

He made the comments aft a survey revealed the usage of overseas surveillance instrumentality by the police.

It comes amid heightened absorption connected the usage of Chinese tech successful the UK.

"There has been a batch successful the quality successful caller days astir however acrophobic we should beryllium astir Chinese spy balloons 60,000ft up successful the sky," said Prof Sampson.

"I bash not recognize wherefore we are not astatine slightest arsenic acrophobic astir the Chinese cameras 6ft supra our caput successful the thoroughfare and elsewhere."

Last twelvemonth UK authorities departments were told to stop installing surveillance cameras made by Chinese firms connected "sensitive sites", due to the fact that of information concerns.

The argumentation followed fears that firms could beryllium required by Chinese instrumentality to co-operate with Beijing's information services.

Alicia Kearns, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, told the BBC the authorities should spell further and region each surveillance instrumentality made by firms backed by the Chinese government.

In the survey, sent retired past June, the Office of the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner asked each 43 constabulary forces successful England and Wales, arsenic good arsenic the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the British Transport Police (BTP), the National Crime Agency, and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) astir their usage of surveillance technology.

Thirty-six forces responded, on with the BTP, CNC and MoD.

From the replies received, the survey recovered ample amounts of instrumentality is being utilized astir which determination person been information oregon ethical concerns.

The National Police Chiefs' Council told the BBC that safeguards are successful spot to let the effectual usage of caller technologies.

It added: "Following authorities guidance wherever governmental departments person been instructed to cease the deployment of specified instrumentality astir delicate sites, UK policing volition behaviour indispensable reviews to guarantee nationalist information standards are met."

MPs person besides raised questions astir the quality rights records of 2 of the camera manufacturers cited by constabulary successful the survey, successful peculiar concerns astir reported links to alleged quality rights abuses against Uyghurs - a mostly Muslim taste number - successful China.

In July 2021, the Foreign Affairs Committee issued a study which said: "Equipment manufactured by companies specified arsenic Hikvision and Dahua should not beryllium permitted to run wrong the UK."

A twelvemonth later, 67 MPs and Lords joined a telephone for a prohibition connected the firms.

Dahua has antecedently said that it follows "all applicable local, nationalist and planetary laws, regulations and conventions" and has stated that it "has not and ne'er volition make solutions targeting immoderate circumstantial taste group".

Hikvision told BBC News that: "It is categorically mendacious to correspond Hikvision arsenic a menace to nationalist security. No respected method instauration oregon appraisal has travel to this conclusion."

It besides said that arsenic a manufacturer, Hikvision does not store end-users' video data, and truthful cannot transmit information from end-users to 3rd parties.

The steadfast said it took each reports regarding quality rights precise seriously.

"As a marketplace leader, Hikvision is committed to upholding the highest standards and respect for quality rights."

It besides noted that it sold products to via distributors, and did not person interaction with end-users.

The institution said it welcomed immoderate reappraisal of camera usage by UK police.

City of London Police, Gloucestershire Police, Greater Manchester Police, Gwent Police, Merseyside Police, National Crime Agency (NCA), South Yorkshire Police and Thames Valley Police did not respond to the survey, which Prof Sampson called "disappointing".

The Home Office told the BBC that the information of nationalist institutions and systems was of captious importance.

"The National Cyber Security Centre has produced caller guidance to assistance the police, and different organisations, measure and summation assurance successful their proviso concatenation cyber-security," it said.

"We are committed to promoting the ethical improvement and deployment of exertion successful the UK and overseas. We are alert of a fig of Chinese exertion companies linked to violations taking spot successful Xinjiang and are monitoring the concern closely."