A Chinese CCTV company whose equipment is banned by the Government in “sensitive” sites more than doubled its sales to customers in the UK and Ireland last year.
Hikvision’s annual results showed direct sales increased from £14.7 million in 2022 to £32.6 million in 2023.
This was despite a government ban on the use of CCTV equipment made by companies subject to China’s national intelligence law, which requires companies to share information with Beijing.
The ban announced in 2022 by Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden applies to the use of cameras in “sensitive locations”.
Dowden said the decision was made “in light of the threat to the UK and the increasing capacity and connectivity of these systems”.
Looking ahead: Hikvision’s annual results showed direct sales increased from £14.7 million in 2022 to £32.6 million in 2023.
The Government subsequently made it clear that this ban did not extend to all public sector sites.
It also does not cover the private sector.
But high-profile companies such as Tesco and Morrisons have banned Hikvision cameras in response to allegations of involvement in human rights abuses in China.
The company maintains that it does not pose any threat to the security of the United Kingdom.