Controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2023
Ethnic-minority detection controversy
Reporting that Hikvision released software including ethnic-minority detection features prompted renewed criticism concerning biometric classification, discrimination, and the use of surveillance technology.
2023
Designation by Ukraine over alleged Russia-related supply
Ukraine's anti-corruption agency designated Hikvision an international sponsor of war, alleging that the company supplied dual-use equipment to Russia that could support military purposes.
2022
Alleged monitoring of religion, protest, and student activity
Reporting alleged that Hikvision software included alerts related to religion, Falun Gong, protest activity, and students fasting during Ramadan. These reports intensified criticism of the company's role in government surveillance.
2021
Cybersecurity and network-communication concerns
Reports and disclosures raised concerns about vulnerabilities in Hikvision cameras and the network behavior of some devices, including the serious command-injection vulnerability CVE-2021-36260. The company later engaged outside consultants for cybersecurity audits.
2019
Xinjiang surveillance allegations and United States sanctions
Governments, researchers, and journalists alleged that Hikvision technology was used in surveillance of Uyghurs and other ethnic or religious minorities in Xinjiang. The United States responded with procurement restrictions and an Entity List designation. Hikvision denied that the sanctions had a factual basis and called for reconsideration.