Hikvision: Kent County Council to phase out controversial CCTV system

Due to financial constraints Kent County Council will phase out the cameras rather than immediately replacing them

Kent County Council (KCC) has said it will phase out its CCTV cameras amid ethical and security concerns.

Hikvision, which makes the cameras, has faced accusations linking its technology to the oppression of Uyghurs in China.

Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling, and Tunbridge Wells councils already plan to replace Hikvision cameras.

Hikvision said its products were subject to strict security requirements.

In July 2021 the Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Select Committee said "equipment manufactured by companies such as Hikvision should not be permitted to operate within the UK", after MPs concluded its cameras were being used in Uyghur internment camps in Xinjiang.

The council's decision follows criticism from the leader of the Liberal Democrat group at KCC, Antony Cook, who is seeking assurances about the products' security, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Mr Hook said: "Technicians should be able to look at the equipment to confirm whether it is secure. We should be equally concerned if any equipment purchased by KCC is from any companies that are connected to human rights abuses."

KCC said security concerns were mitigated by the need for physical access to the devices in order to view the footage.

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In a statement the authority said: "We have considered proactively replacing the Hikvision system entirely, but this would be a very costly move and put even more strain on the council's finances, which are already under substantial pressure.

"It has therefore been decided that we will replace when maintenance and upgrades are undertaken.

"We will continue to monitor the latest guidance and follow the advice we are given regarding taking extra steps to minimise any risks regarding the use of Hikvision in our properties."

Hikvision said its products were "demonstrably not a national security threat".

In a statement the firm said: "Hikvision's products are subject to strict security requirements and are compliant with the applicable laws and regulations in the UK.

"The company is committed to upholding the highest industry standards and we take all reports regarding human rights very seriously."

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