| Chinese Surveillance Manufacturer Hikvision Accused of Facilitating Uyghur Identification |
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| Published Date: March 17, 2023 |
Beijing, China – The Chinese surveillance equipment manufacturer Hikvision has come under scrutiny after reports revealed it received a $6 million grant from the Beijing government for technology that aids in the identification of Uyghurs, a Muslim ethnic group that constitutes the majority of the population in China. This information was reported by IPVM, a specialized physical security monitoring company, based on the contract between Hikvision and the Chinese authorities.
According to IPVM researchers, “despite strict restrictions on access to sensitive information in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the persecution of Uyghur minorities persists, and Hikvision is actively involved in this process by providing Beijing with software that violates human rights.”
Human rights organizations have long raised concerns about the widespread suppression of the Uyghur population in China, including tracking, imprisonment, forced labor, and cultural re-education. Some groups have even reported campaigns of compulsory sterilization targeting Uyghurs.
In 2019, Hikvision was placed on the US Black List for its alleged participation in the repressing Uyghurs on behalf of the Chinese government. However, Hikvision denies these accusations and claims that it was not “consciously” involved in any human rights violations.
NVIDIA, a graphics processing unit manufacturer, is also mentioned in the contract alongside Hikvision. The contract stipulates the inclusion of a server with a minimum of 8 NVIDIA T4 graphic processors. However, Hikvision asserts that it has not sold its equipment since 2019.
Based on a contract dated December 2022, Hikvision is obliged to install 210 cameras, drones, routers, and camera support structures within three months. The contract also includes the use of Hikvision’s DS-AF0100-AI software, capable of analyzing individuals, videos, and human bodies. Furthermore, the contract specifies the use of ethnicity determination services, categorizing individuals as “unknown,” “not belonging to the minority,” or “Uyghur.”
Both Hikvision and Beijing have repeatedly denied accusations of human rights violations. Hikvision has also claimed that the Uyghur identification function was removed from its software in 2018.
In November 2022, the US Federal Communications Commission (F