Canada Orders Chinese Firm Hikvision To Cease Operations Citing National Security Concerns

Last Updated:June 28, 2025, 09:01 IST

Canada's Industry Minister Melanie Joly said the government has decided that Hikvision's continued operations in Canada would be detrimental to Canada's national security.

Hikvision has long come under criticism for use of its equipment in China's Xinjiang region. (Reuters/File)

In a significant development, the Canadian government has ordered Chinese video surveillance camera-making company Hikvision to halt all operations in the country and close its Canadian business over national security concerns.

Canada’s Industry Minister, Melanie Joly, said the government has determined that Hikvision Canada’s continued operations would be detrimental to Canada’s national security. ‘Following a National Security Review under the Investment Canada Act, the Government of Canada has ordered Hikvision Canada Inc. to cease all operations in Canada and close its Canadian business," she said in a statement.

Joly said this determination was a result of a multi-step review that assessed information and evidence provided by Canada’s security and intelligence community. She also said Canada was prohibiting the purchase or use of Hikvision products in government departments, agencies and crown corporations.

“The scope of this National Security Review under the Investment Canada Act does not extend to Hikvision’s affiliate operations outside of Canada," she said, while encouraging Canadians to take note of this decision and make their own decisions accordingly.

“The Government of Canada is further conducting a review of existing properties to ensure that legacy Hikvision products are not used going forward. The Government of Canada welcomes foreign investment – but will never compromise on Canada’s national security," she added.

Hikvision, also known as Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co, has faced numerous sanctions and restrictions by Canada’s neighbour, the United States, over the past five and a half years for the firm’s dealings and the use of its equipment in China’s Xinjiang region, where rights groups have documented abuses against the Uyghur population and other Muslim communities.

Hikvision’s Canadian and US operations, the parent company and China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The company, which calls itself the world’s biggest maker of video surveillance equipment, said last year it had exited contracts in Xinjiang through five subsidiaries that were added to a US trade black list in 2023.

Last year, the Wall Street Journal reported that Canada was reviewing an application to impose sanctions on four Chinese surveillance-gear companies, including Hikvision, over their alleged role in human-rights violations in Xinjiang.

(with agency inputs)

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...

Read More

Location :

Ottawa, Canada

First Published:

News world Canada Orders Chinese Firm Hikvision To Cease Operations Citing National Security Concerns