More than a third of Britain’s police forces use equipment provided by firms that pose a security risk, the surveillance watchdog has warned.
The use of CCTV, drones and other technology manufactured by firms with links to the Chinese government raised serious questions about whether the public want ‘untrusted companies and equipment watching us’, Fraser Sampson said.
Mr Sampson, the biometrics and surveillance camera commissioner, likened the creep of Chinese equipment into British law enforcement to ‘digital asbestos’, because the systems were installed by a previous generation with good intentions.
More than a third of Britain’s police forces use equipment provided by firms that pose a security risk
‘Now we know they bring significant risk, we should probably stop installing any more until we understand the depth and breadth of those risks,’ he told The Times.
‘And then we should set up a timeline for assessment and, if appropriate, removal or replacement.’
The controversial Chinese firm that provided more than 35,000 walkie-talkies to Britain’s biggest police force is at the centre of an espionage scandal.
Hytera, which is blacklisted from government contracts in the US over security fears, has been accused of stealing trade secrets from rival Motorola.
Last year, UK judges ordered the extradition of British-based former Hytera executive Gee Siong Kok, 64, to the US to face intellectual property theft charges.
English (United States) ·