Hikvision Blames Latest Ethnic Minority Evidence On 'Employee Error'
Hikvision is blaming an employee for including ethnic minority analytics in its latest software, which IPVM recently revealed.
This shows that Hikvision is concerned about its image with US partners and possible further sanctions. However, questions remain about whether Hikvision has actually canceled the technology.
Additionally, this summer, IPVM revealed that a PRC government contract was awarded for a Hikvision product featuring ethnic minority / Uyghur analytics. Hikvision has not publicly commented on this and has not responded to IPVM's request for comment over multiple months.
Executive Summary
Hikvision says its employee "failed to run the document through the required editing and screening process and posted the old version" in a letter to partners obtained by IPVM.
In October, IPVM showed how Hikvision's iSecure Center listed the video analytic "are they an ethnic minority" (是否少数民族) in an API guide on its own website.
Hikvision claims it canceled minority recognition in 2018. However, IPVM has found other evidence of Hikvision continuing to offer the tech, including directly from PRC authorities.
Hikvision Minority Recognition In Its Latest Software
IPVM reported last month that Hikvision's iSecure Center included the analytic "are they an ethnic minority" (是否少数民族) in an API guide for its latest version (V2.1.0):
This directly contradicts Hikvision's claims to have removed the technology in 2018.
Hikvision quickly deleted the API guide after IPVM's comment request but did not respond to IPVM, despite our contacting them four days before publishing.
"Employee Failed" Says Letter To Partners
Two days after IPVM published its report, Hikvision USA GM Eric Chen issued a letter to partners blaming a Hikvision employee, saying "a Hikvision webpage has caused some confusion":
As we have previously stated, that functionality was phased out and completely prohibited by the company in 2018. The employee failed to run the document through the required editing and screening process and posted the old version without the proper review. This was unacceptable. Despite what the webpage said, iSecure Center (V2.1.0) does not contain an ethnic minority recognition function. Again, none of Hikvision’s offerings have such a feature. [emphasis added]
Hikvision insisted that "Hikvision does not offer ethnic minority recognition technology in any of our product offerings" (emphasis Hikvision's).
Hikvision's response was first reported by VOA Chinese on November 3.
Other Evidence Of Ongoing Minority Recognition
There is other evidence of Hikvision continuing to offer ethnic minority recognition despite its pledge to remove it in 2018.
In December 2022, PRC authorities awarded a $6 million contract that explicitly lists minority analytics in a "Standard Configuration" Hikvision AI server, using the exact same phrase ("are they an ethnic minority/是否少数民族") as Hikvision iSecure Center:
Further, an earlier API guide for Hikvision iSecure Center from 2020, which PRC access control integrator Hefei Mingkun published, also lists "are they an ethnic minority" (是否少数民族) as an included analytic:
Hikvision did not respond to requests for comment about both the above examples.
Incentive To Provide Minority Recognition Examined
Outside the PRC, offering minority recognition is virtually unheard of; however, inside the PRC, it is a standard feature of many police surveillance projects. For example, in 2019, IPVM found 12 separate PRC police projects requiring this kind of technology.
Minority analytics were even included in draft surveillance requirements published by the PRC's top law enforcement agency, the Ministry of Public Security:
Given that Hikvision made well over $2 billion USD in PRC government revenue in 2022, much of that in direct sales to police, it has an incentive to keep providing the tech to PRC end users.
Hikvision No Response
Hikvision did not respond to IPVM's comment request for this article.
** ** ********** ******* **** ********* for * ****** ***, ** *** two **-**-*********, ***** * **** ******, like ****, ** ******* ***** **********.
**** *** ******** **** ***** ** try ** ******* ***** ******** ********. We ****** *** *********** *** ******** statement, ******* **** **** *** ** knew ** *** ******** ** ********* Uyghurs:
********* ***** ******** ********* ** ****.
*** ***** **** ** ******* ** employee. **** ********* *** **** **** the ********, **** **** *** ******* one **** ********'* *****. **** ******** has * ***** ****** ************ ******** to ****** **************, ****'* *** * single ******** (** ** ** ***, it ***** **** ********* *** ** control ** ********* ** **** ** inside ***** ********, ***** ** ********** in *** *** *****).
** *** ******* ** ******** *** the ****** ******** ********, * ***** encourage ********* ** ******** *** ***** explain *** *** ******* ********** ** this ************* **** ** **** ***** in *** **** ***** ***** **** when **** ******* ** ****.