Congress Bans Chinese Video Surveillance Equipment in Government Facilities

The bill banning U.S. government use of Dahua and Hikvision products has been passed by both chambers of Congress. The President Trump has voiced support of this bill and is expected to be signed into law.

In May, this ban was introduced as an amendment to the House version of the NDAA defense appropriations bill. However, at that time, the Senate did not include such a ban, raising hopes by Dahua and Hikvision that the ban would be removed in the reconciliation process. However, reconciliation included the ban and both the House and Senate easily passed the bill with the ban.

Security industry blogger, John Honovich and IPVM released the story on Aug. 2, and included parts of the reconciled bill, which cover some 1,360 pages of government regulation, including a ban of Hikvision and Dahua equipment, or any subsidiary or affiliate, for U.S. government use.

The relevant section is:

(B) For the purpose of public safety, security of government facilities, physical security surveillance of critical infrastructure, and other national security purposes, video surveillance and telecommunications equipment produced by Hytera Communications Corp., Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co., or Dahua Technology Co. (or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities …).

Another possible, and critical expansion of the ban is a new clause calling out "critical infrastructure," and "national security purposes":

It is not clear if the bill bans use of their company equipment in those areas but, if so, it would significantly increase the impact as many non-governmental organizations could fall under those categories; such as utilities and financial institutions.

The bill says this "prohibition" will start one year after it is enacted, which would put that in H2 2019:

(C) Effective Dates – The prohibition under sub-section (a)(1) shall take effect one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and the prohibitions under …

However, in practice, the ban is immediate given the elimination clause.

Compounding the problem for Dahua and Hikvision, the bill includes a directive to "phase-out" and "eliminate" the use of existing equipment.

(B) submits to the head of the executive agency, who shall not later than 30 days thereafter submit to the appropriate congressional committees, a full and complete laydown of the presences of covered telecommunications or video surveillance equipment or services in the entity’s supply chain and a phase-out plan to eliminate such covered telecommunications or video surveillance equipment or services from the entity’s systems.

Overall, Dahua and Hikvision equipment is a distinct minority of government video surveillance. There is; however, a non-trivial amount deployed that could be a boon for system integrators and rival video surveillance manufacturers.

About the Author

Ralph C. Jensen is the Publisher/Editor in chief of Security Today magazine.

Featured

  • UL Solutions Launches Artificial Intelligence Safety Certification Services

    UL Solutions Inc., a global leader in safety science, today announced the launch of artificial intelligence (AI) safety certification services, enabling comprehensive assessments for evaluating the safety of AI-powered products. Read Now

  • ESA Announces Initiative to Introduce the SECURE Act in State Legislatures

    The Electronic Security Association (ESA), the national voice for the electronic security and life safety industry, has announced plans to introduce the SECURE Act in state legislatures across the country beginning in 2025. The proposal, known as Safeguarding Election Candidates Using Reasonable Expenditures, provides a clear framework that allows candidates and elected officials to use campaign funds for professional security services. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Ransomware Attacks Rise for the First Time in Six Months

    Ransomware attacks have risen for the first time in six months, increasing by 28% month-on-month to 421 attacks. While overall attack volume remained below 500, the uptick may signal a renewed escalation heading into the year’s most active period for cyber criminals. Read Now

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.