Multiple federal government agencies report having purchased or used surveillance cameras manufactured by the Chinese company Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company Ltd, a Chinese state-run company banned by the United States government over security risks.
In its response, the RCMP stated that Hikvision cameras had been purchased but were not currently deployed.
“Cameras were bought for testing by the Technical Investigation Services Program at Headquarters, as well as by Divisions M (Yukon) and K (Alberta); however, it was decided that these cameras would not be deployed,” the RCMP said.
Several departments and Crown corporations, including the Canadian Services Agency, the CBC, Canadian Space Agency, the Coast Guard, along with the departments of health, immigration, and environment all said they had purchased Hikvision cameras but were looking to replace them by the end of 2024.
Others, like the department of infrastructure, said they had only discovered they were using Hikvision cameras after MP Villemuyre had made his request for information and said they were taking steps to replace the surveillance systems.
The Bank of Canada also confirmed using Hikvision systems, saying they were used in “non-public” areas.
“These were provided by a third-party vendor to whom this service was outsourced. The Bank no longer uses Hikvision surveillance cameras. A privacy impact assessment was not conducted,” The BoC said.
“Chinese company Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co. Ltd poses a threat to Canada’s national security because it and its products could serve as an intelligence collection platform at home and abroad,” CSIS said in a French-language document obtained by Le Journal de Montréal.