Councils’ lack of expertise about CCTV digital camera producers ‘concerning’
T
oo many native authorities have no idea who made their CCTV cameras or whether or not they have been linked to safety or moral considerations, the surveillance commissioner has warned.
A survey revealed on Friday discovered 40 councils have been unable to say who the producer of their CCTV cameras have been, a state of affairs the watchdog described as “concerning”.
Of the 143 councils that responded to the survey, 63 mentioned their city centre CCTV methods had been equipped by overseas corporations about which there had been moral or safety considerations.
Against a backdrop of elevated public-space surveillance and heightened ranges of concern, it’s tough to see in what foundation the general public can have faith within the deployment of cameras for which native authorities are accountable
These included cameras made by Chinese corporations Hikvision and Dahua, which have beforehand been a supply of concern for the commissioner resulting from alleged hyperlinks to the Chinese state.
Fraser Sampson, the biometrics and surveillance digital camera commissioner, mentioned: “While the rate of returns has been disappointing, the most alarming aspect of this survey is the extent to which local authorities do not appear to have the most basic information on what camera equipment they are using and whether they have any concerns about the security or human rights issues.
“Against a backdrop of increased public-space surveillance and heightened levels of concern, it is difficult to see in what basis the public can have confidence in the deployment of cameras for which local authorities are responsible.”
The survey famous that there was “confusion” amongst native authorities about whether or not their surveillance gear was linked to safety or ethics considerations, and “little understanding of which suppliers this might apply to”.
The commissioner additionally expressed concern that whereas councils’ procurement processes did think about points reminiscent of trendy slavery and nationwide safety, the main focus remained on worth for cash “which may be to the detriment of security and ethical considerations”.
Mr Sampson has raised considerations about the usage of Chinese-made CCTV cameras earlier than, warning in February that UK police forces have been “shot through” with surveillance gear made by corporations reminiscent of Hikvision.
The firm has additionally been criticised by politicians together with former Conservative chief Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Alicia Kearns, the Tory chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
In November, the Government ordered public authorities to cease putting in Chinese-made CCTV cameras on “sensitive sites” resulting from safety considerations and a few councils have already mentioned they are going to take away Hikvision’s gear from their buildings, together with in Edinburgh, Kent and Wales.
Hikvision cameras are compliant with the relevant UK legal guidelines and laws and are topic to strict safety necessities
Hikivision has constantly denied that it’s a safety threat, saying it’s “categorically false to represent Hikvision as a threat to national security”.
After the surveillance commissioner issued his warning about police gear in February, an organization spokesperson mentioned: “As a manufacturer, Hikvision does not store end-users’ video data, does not offer cloud storage in the UK and therefore cannot transmit data from end users to third parties.
“Hikvision cameras are compliant with the applicable UK laws and regulations and are subject to strict security requirements.”