Chinese state-owned video surveillance equipment vendor Hikvision had its Canadian subsidiary given an operation cessation order by the Canadian government following a review that indicated the products' threat to the country's national security, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.
"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," said Canadian Minister of Industry Mlanie Joly in a statement. Canada's decision has been criticized by Hikvision for inadequate transparency and factual basis. "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," said Hikvision. Such a development comes as U.S. courts continue to debate the legitimacy of the Federal Communications Commission's order prohibiting the use of Chinese-owned tech.
"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," said Canadian Minister of Industry Mlanie Joly in a statement. Canada's decision has been criticized by Hikvision for inadequate transparency and factual basis. "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," said Hikvision. Such a development comes as U.S. courts continue to debate the legitimacy of the Federal Communications Commission's order prohibiting the use of Chinese-owned tech.
