Canada bans Hikvision over national security concerns, ordering the company to stop operations and barring its tech from government use.
Canada ordered Chinese surveillance firm Hikvision to cease all operations in the country, citing national security concerns. Minister Mélanie Joly announced the decision after a security review found vendor’s activities could pose a threat.
Canada bans Hikvision products for government use, reviewing existing properties. The Canadian Minister pointed out that foreign investment is welcome, but Canada prioritizes national security.
“Following a National Security Review under the Investment Canada Act, the Government of Canada has ordered Hikvision Canada Inc. to cease all operations in Canada and close its Canadian business. The government has determined that Hikvision Canada Inc.’s continued operations in Canada would be injurious to Canada’s 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.” reads the statement published by Minister Mélanie Joly.
“The scope of this National Security Review under the Investment Canada Act does not extend to Hikvision’s affiliate operations outside of Canada. However, I strongly encourage all Canadians to take note of this decision and make their own decisions accordingly. In addition to this action, the Government of Canada is prohibiting the purchase or use of Hikvision products in government departments, agencies, and crown corporations. The Government of Canada is further conducting a review of existing properties to ensure that legacy Hikvision products are not used going forward. The Government of Canada welcomes foreign investment – but will never compromise on Canada’s national security.”
The ban includes its business and technology use.
Hikvision (officially Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co., Ltd.) is a Chinese company that manufactures video surveillance products and solutions, including CCTV cameras, video recorders, thermal imaging systems, and AI-powered security technologies.
The partially state-owned company has clients in both civilian and military sectors globally.
Hikvision Canada criticized the government’s ban as baseless and politically motivated, claiming its products comply with Canadian laws and security standards. The company argued the decision lacks fairness, transparency, and is driven by geopolitical bias against Chinese firms rather than actual cybersecurity concerns.
” We strongly disagree with this decision and view it with deep concern, as we believe it lacks a factual basis, procedural fairness, and transparency. 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.” reads the company’s statement.
“Throughout the review, we fully cooperated with all government parties — providing timely and comprehensive responses along with detailed documentation and proactive engagement to support their understanding. Despite these efforts, the government imposed its decision without presenting evidence or addressing the facts we 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.”
In 2022, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced a total ban on telecom and surveillance equipment from Chinese companies Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision, and Dahua due to an “unacceptable” national security threat.
The US government also added the companies to the Covered List. The Covered List, published by Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau published, included products and services that could pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons.
In November 2022, the British government also banned the installation of Chinese-linked security cameras at sensitive facilities due to security risks. The risk is related to the use of security cameras manufactured by Chinese-owned companies Dahua and Hikvision.
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