Chinese spy tech giant fights back as Canada kicks out Hikvision over national security concerns
Hikvision
is challenging the Canadian government's decision to shut down its operations, filing a notice for judicial review after Ottawa declared the firm a national security threat.
The federal government ordered Hikvision
Canada
to cease all operations and exit the country on June 27, following a national security review under the Investment Canada Act. The review's findings were not publicly detailed, but Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said the decision was based on assessments from Canada's security and intelligence agencies.
In a statement released Monday, Hikvision confirmed it submitted a legal application to the Attorney General of Canada, calling the government's move unjustified.
'Hikvision Canada did so to vigorously challenge the Order and to uphold what we believe is right,' the company said. 'Through Canada's legal system, we expect a fair process.'
The company also announced that it reached an agreement with the Attorney General to pause enforcement of the shutdown while the court considers its request for a judicial review.
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'Since entering the Canadian market, we have followed all applicable laws and regulations, and will continue to defend our position that Hikvision products and technology have not endangered the national security of Canada or any other country in which we operate,' the statement added.
The Chinese embassy in Ottawa has urged Canada to reverse the decision, saying it amounts to discrimination against a Chinese firm.
This isn't the first time Hikvision has faced global scrutiny. The US Federal Communications Commission in 2022 banned the sale or import of new Hikvision equipment, citing national security risks. The
US Department of Defense
has also linked the company to China's military.
Human rights groups have long accused Hikvision of supplying
surveillance systems
used in the repression of
Uyghur Muslims
in China's Xinjiang region. A 2023 report from the Uyghur Human Rights Project said the company helped operate
mass surveillance
infrastructure near detention camps, schools, and mosques.
Hikvision, which operates in more than 180 countries, is a subsidiary of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, a state-owned enterprise.
The court's decision could have broader implications for foreign tech firms operating in Canada, as well as for the country's future national security policies concerning Chinese technology.
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