Chinese security firm advertises ethnicity recognition technology while facing UK ban

A Chinese security camera company has been advertising ethnicity recognition features to British and other European customers, even while it faces a ban on UK operations over allegations of involvement in ethnic cleansing in Xinjiang.

In a brochure published on its website, Hikvision advertised a range of features that it said it could provide in collaboration with the UK startup FaiceTech.

These included using facial recognition for retail security, border control, and anti-money laundering checks for retail banking.

In contrast with the US, Hikvision cameras are in widespread use in Britain, a Guardian investigation revealed in 2020. Public records showed them being used in council areas including Kensington and Chelsea, Guildford, Coventry, Chelmsford, and Mole Valley, among others.

On Wednesday, the UK government was defeated in the House of Lords when it opposed an amendment banning the use of cameras by Hikvision and another Chinese company, Dahua, from being purchased or used by the public sector.