Tesco to ditch Chinese-made CCTV cameras over security and human rights fears

Tesco, Britain’s biggest supermarket, is to ditch Chinese CCTV surveillance cameras from its stores after warnings over their security and ethical risks.

The company has told campaigners that it is removing equipment supplied by the Chinese companies Hikvision and Dahua over their involvement in alleged human rights abuses in the suppression of the Uyghur Muslim minority by China.

Hikvision has also been banned from supplying its technology in the US after being judged an unacceptable risk to America’s national security. Under Chinese law, companies must “support, assist and co-operate” with state intelligence work.

The UK Government has also told its departments to stop installing Chinese-linked surveillance cameras at sensitive buildings and UK police forces are reviewing their use of the equipment amid growing fears over Beijing spying on the west.

Tesco revealed its policy change in a reply to campaign groups led by Big Brother Watch which wrote to leading supermarkets urging them to remove Hikvision and Dahua cameras from their stores because of their involvement in “serious human rights abuses and association with significant security issues”.

“These companies provide technology that facilitates the persecution and oppression of ethnic and religious groups in the Uyghur region (“Xinjiang”), Tibet and Hong Kong and have no place in the UK,” they said.

“These cameras also give rise to serious security concerns, given their links to the Chinese state and their history of security flaws.”

Jason Tarry, Tesco’s chief executive, replied: “We have a strong commitment to ethical sourcing and human rights, and we do not tolerate any forms of human rights abuse in our supply chain. When we became aware of the allegations linked to Hikvision and Dahua, we immediately took action to identify alternative suppliers.

“While we recognise the severity of these allegations, due to the size and complexity of our business and our responsibility to maintain safety and security in our stores, it will take some time until all the equipment can be swapped out. We can confirm that we are now in the process of transitioning to new suppliers.”