Hikvision cameras vulnerable to hackers

Responding to last night’s Panorama, which revealed that Chinese-made surveillance cameras are vulnerable to hacking, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

“There is no way that companies subject to Chinese state intelligence laws should be at the heart of our CCTV systems.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats have previously revealed that at least 11 local authorities use cameras manufactured by the Chinese firm Hikvision. We also led the way in pressing the Scottish Government and Police Scotland to ensure that these systems were not in use in their own buildings.

“From Hikvision to TikTok, the Scottish Government has consistently dragged its feet in taking action to counter surveillance risks.

“We need ministerial confirmation that Hikvision cameras have been removed from all Scottish Government sites, that local authorities have been contacted and encouraged to remove this technology from their own sites and that a comprehensive investigation into the reach of the Chinese state in Scotland will take place”.