Hikvision ordered to cease operations by Canadian government

OTTAWA, Ontario — Hikvision has been ordered by the government to cease all Canadian operations and close its businesses in the country following an assessment of its practices.

In a statement released on social media the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly announced her reasoning with the government having completed a National Security Review under its Investment Canada Act, determining that its continued operations would be “Injurious to Canada’s national security.”

“This determination is the result of a multi-step review that assessed information and evidence provided by Canada’s security and intelligence community,” wrote Joly. “The scope of this National Security Review under the Investment Canada Act does note extend to Hikvision’s affiliate operations outside of Canada. However, I strongly encourage all Canadians to take note of this decision an make their own decisions accordingly.”

Hikvision responded accordingly, firing back with a response of its own condemning the move by the Canadian government and calling its actions based on “Unfounded allegations” and that the review process lacked, “…a factual basis, procedural fairness, and transparency.”

“Instead of evaluating our technology on its cybersecurity merits, the decision appears to be driven by the parent company’s country of origin, reflecting broader geopolitical tensions and an unjustified bias against Chinese companies,” the company wrote.

Hikvision has been a controversial company for several years as it faces increasing restrictions from major countries who have accused the tech manufacturer of including backdoors into its equipment that can be used for surveillance. In 2022 the United States banned authorization of new telecom equipment from the company, deeming it a national security threat, and followed up in 2023 by having the company and four of its subsidiaries added to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Entity List, which restricts its ability to do business with US based companies. Hikvision has since taken action against the FCC to challenge the ban.

Hikvision concluded its statement writing, “We urge the Canadian government to base its actions on facts rather than prejudice, and to uphold a fair, transparent environment for all businesses and investors.”