Concerns over government's use of Hikvision cameras

CCTV company has links with Chinese state

Concerns have been raised regarding the Isle of Man Government's use of surveillance cameras made by Chinese company Hikvision.

The manufacturer has been under scrutiny for its links to the Chinese state, and the reported persecution of Uyghur Muslims in the country, and there's a ban on the cameras being installed on ‘sensitive sites’ in the UK.

More recently it's had to deny that it is 'illegally disguising its products sold to the US government to enable Chinese espionage.'

In response to a Freedom of Information request, from the Manx Taxpayers' Alliance, the Department for Enterprise says it operates “eight surveillance cameras manufactured by HikVision and Samsung”.

The Office for Cyber Security and Information Assurance says it's been 'aware of the concerns for some time' and is 'constantly assessing the impact technology such as this has on Island residents and organisations.'

In February last year it says it made department officers aware of the steps taken by the UK Government in relation to the use of Hikvision, advising that this should be taken into account when considering any future installation of CCTV.

It goes on to say: "Further to this, a change in policy was approved in the same month, stating that all government departments must consult with OCSIA and Government Technology Services (GTS) regarding the suitability and security of any CCTV acquired for use on government systems or in connection with government data.

"OCSIA takes the concerns about Hikvision seriously, and our response to any department that wishes to install Hikvision reflects the ethical, privacy, and national cyber concerns we have around the system(s). 

"Whilst the UK Government have applied considerations to sensitive sites, the Isle of Man Government has implemented this policy to all CCTV installations, regardless of location.

"As with all current technology assets owned by the Isle of Man Government, OCSIA and GTS are constantly reviewing existing technologies in place and making recommendations where we see any potential issues arising."

The view the Manx Taxpayers' Alliance has taken is that the Isle of Man is 'behind the UK' on this issue, and has called for the government to 'find all such devices on their property and remove them'.