Where Dahua and Hikvision Are Banned

Bans of Dahua and Hikvision are increasing around the world, with new ones being added regularly, making it challenging to verify where and when bans are implemented.

This directory details the countries, regions, municipalities, companies, and other entities which have publicly banned Dahua and/or Hikvision or restricted them in some capacity.

Not Exhaustive / Many Not Disclosed

This list is not comprehensive as decisions on security technology procurement policy may be made either informally or without public disclosure, in order to avoid controversy, or resulting from policies against disclosure of security practices generally.

Executive Summary

National government bans of Dahua and Hikvision, of varying scope, are disclosed publicly in Lithuania, Taiwan, the United States, and the United Kingdom; Scotland and Wales also implemented bans separately. In the EU, the European Parliament removed Hikvision over human rights abuses, but has no EU-wide policy.

Diverse national or sub-national authorities have also implemented bans, including: 5 US states, the Indian Navy, a New Zealand ministry, an Australian health department, and others. Various companies and institutions, such as the Security Industry Association in the US, and Tesco in the UK, have excluded Hikvision and Dahua as well.

While this list shows that Dahua and Hikvision are increasingly restricted in Western developed countries, publicly-known bans remain uncommon in much of the world including Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. As a result, these regions have become the largest sources of revenue growth for Hikvision and Dahua.

US - Federal NDAA Ban

Under 2019 NDAA Section 889, the US federal government cannot "procure or obtain" video surveillance "produced by" Dahua or Hikvision - including OEMs - due to national security concerns. This covers all federal agencies, including the military, and US embassies overseas.

• No part of the US federal government can purchase 'NDAA banned' equipment, nor any products using banned equipment "as a substantial or essential component," such as devices with Huawei HiSilicon chips.
• Section B bans federal contractors that "use" banned Hikvision and Dahua; this applies "regardless of whether that use" is related to a federal contract.
• Finally, the US federal government bans any federal dollars from being spent on Hikvision and Dahua gear, including by grant recipients. E.g. a private school may not spend federal grant funds to buy Hikvision or Dahua.

For more, read IPVM's detailed NDAA Video Surveillance Ban / Blacklists Guide and the NDAA Compliant Video Surveillance Whitelist.

US - FCC Ban

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) banned Dahua and Hikvision from new equipment authorizations in November 2022. Most products that use electricity require FCC equipment authorizations; otherwise, they are illegal to import, sell, market, or use, even for private individuals.

This came after the companies were declared "a threat to national security" by the FCC in 2021. An April 2024 decision by the US Court of Appeals upheld the ban after Dahua and Hikvision sued the FCC.

Models which received authorizations prior to November 2022 are not affected, though the FCC said it would consider revoking existing authorizations in the future.

The FCC has established a pathway for Hikvision and Dahua to receive further equipment authorizations if they propose sufficient measures to ensure products are not marketed or sold for prohibited purposes - i.e. public safety, critical infrastructure, national security, and government facilities - but as of July 2024, the FCC has not granted an exemption.

US State Bans

Various US state and local authorities have restricted purchase or use of Hikvision and Dahua, as well as Hytera.

Georgia

In May 2022, the Georgia General Assembly passed SB346, which "to prohibit[s] companies owned or operated by China to bid on or submit a proposal for a state contract." Although technically this bans Dahua and Hikvision from state contracts, its actual impact is minimal. Georgia authorities may still purchase such goods indirectly, which is already how video surveillance products are ordinarily sold.

We are making note of this because the bill has been misunderstood as a ban on products rather than just directly contracting.

Indiana

In May 2023, the Indiana legislature passed SB477 effectively adopting the NDAA procurement ban at a state level, including for Dahua, Hikvision, and Hytera.

Florida

In September 2022, Florida's governor signed Executive Order 22-216 banning state agencies from "procuring or utilizing" any technology from companies "where any federal agency has prohibited...or otherwise limited" them "because of national security concerns." Dahua, Hikvision, and Hytera clearly fall within this ban given the FCC and NDAA bans.

Louisiana

In 2020, the Louisiana State Legislature adopted RS 39:1753.1 implementing the NDAA ban on Dahua, Hikvision, or Hytera at a state level, as reflected in Louisiana procurement code.

Maine

In May 2024, Maine passed "S.P. 374 - L.D. 877 An Act to Increase Cybersecurity in Maine" which regulated the state's Chief Technology Officer to establish a list of "prohibited technologies" and "prohibited companies," including "foreign adversary business entities," that "pose a national security risk or a risk to the security and safety of persons of the United States."

The list includes Hikvision and Dahua, along with at least ten other PRC, China, and Russia-affiliated companies.

Bidders who violate this regulation will be fined "twice the amount of the contract for which the bid or proposal was submitted or $250,000, whichever is greater."

Nebraska

In March 2023, the Governor of Nebraska signed Executive Order 23-05 banning the use of Dahua, Hikvision, or Hytera.

In March 2025, the Governor of Nebraska further announced Executive Order 25-04 "banning the use or download of applications, software, and platforms created or owned by affiliates of the Chinese Communist Party on state networks and devices." However, the scope of this ban is ambiguous.

Nevada

In January 2023, Nevada banned use of Dahua, Hikvision, or Hytera cameras due to "security concerns."

New Hampshire

In December 2022, the Governor of New Hampshire signed an executive order banning Dahua and Hikvision from being "used in or connected to any State Network."

New Jersey

In January 2023, the Governor of New Jersey issued a "cybersecurity directive" prohibiting Dahua and Hikvision, as well as Hytera, including for "departments, agencies, commissions, boards, bodies, or other instrumentalities of the Executive Branch of New Jersey State Government."

South Dakota

In January 2023, the Governor of South Dakota signed Executive Order 2023-02 prohibiting all procurement of Dahua or Hikvision, and requiring contractors to certify in writing for each contract that they will not supply them.

Wisconsin

In January 2023, the Governor of Wisconsin signed Executive Order 184 banning state use of Dahua, Hikvision, or Hytera.

US SIA ISC West Attendance/Membership Bans

In June 2021, SIA expelled Dahua over ethics code violations. A month later, Hikvision quit SIA while facing possible expulsion over ethics code violations. In 2023, the Security Industry Association (SIA), barred Dahua and Hikvision from exhibiting at ISC West.

United Kingdom / Scotland / Wales

The UK government announced in November 2022 that it would "cease deployment" of "equipment onto sensitive sites" that is "produced by companies subject to the National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic of China":

In April 2024, the UK government said a rip and replace effort was underway and "approximately 50% of sites have now had that equipment replaced," targeting full replacement "no later than April 2025."

Scotland, which is part of the UK but has its own national government, decided to replace Hikvision for government use as part of a program to improve security, a spokesperson confirmed to IPVM in November 2022:

The Scottish Government is in the process of replacing and upgrading security equipment across its estate as part of a multi-year improvement programme.

All existing CCTV kit and equipment, including Hikvision and other companies’ products, are being replaced with a new integrated system to improve and future-proof the security of the Scottish Government estate. [emphasis added]

Finally, the government of Wales (similarly, part of the UK but with a separate national government), and two Welsh police forces, are changing their Hikvision surveillance systems or freezing use, according to the BBC.

UK City and County Bans

Several UK cities and town councils have banned or removed Hikvision and/or Dahua:

• The Scottish capital of Edinburgh removed its Hikvision cameras as part of a major $3 million upgrade in 2022.
• In 2023, some local authorities in the county of Kent have decided to remove Hikvision over fear that sensitive data is "fed back to the Chinese Communist Party via Hikvision's cameras". Those local authorities are Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council and Sevenoaks District Council.

The above bans were for national security reasons. Other authorities have cited ethics and human rights.

In 2021, the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, also in Kent, issued a tender for a small video surveillance project specifying "we have decided not to procure Hikvision, Dahua, Uniview, or Kedacom" due to their "ethical implications".

Also in 2021, the London borough of Tower Hamlets "made a conscious decision" not to procure "Hikvision and other Chinese CCTV" over human rights, per Big Brother Watch:

Tower Hamlets has the highest proportion of Muslims in the UK, at ~38%, and has been active on Uyghur issues.

UPDATE: The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM), which has ~150,000 residents and is near London, "no longer buys any Chinese-made cameras" and its existing Hikvision cameras will be phased out after the end of their usable shelf life due to "security and ethical concerns", local media reported. For more see UK Council Bans PRC Cameras Over "Security And Ethical Concerns".

UK Military Ban

In 2021, IPVM and Free Tibet revealed that the UK Ministry of Defence quietly issued guidance "not to use/install Hikvision equipment":

The MOD declined to comment specifically about this guidance to IPVM, however, it stated it has "a range of measures in place to ensure the integrity of our security arrangements", pointing to national security concerns.

UK Health Department Ban

The UK's Department of Health and Social Care banned new Hikvision camera purchases in 2022, according to The Telegraph, with IPVM confirming that the department procured legal advice on removing existing cameras as well.

UK Isle of Man Ban

Authorities in the Isle of Man, a part of the UK, say they will no longer install Hikvision, as cited by local media:

the OCSIA [Office for Cyber Security and Information Assurance] takes the concerns about Hikvision seriously, and our response to any department that wishes to install Hikvision reflects the ethical, privacy, and national cyber concerns we have around the system(s).

Whilst the UK Government have applied considerations to sensitive sites, the Isle of Man Government has implemented this policy to all CCTV installations, regardless of location. [emphasis added]

The status of Isle of Man's existing Hikvision cameras was left unclear, with authorities stating they are "constantly reviewing existing technologies in place and making recommendations where we see any potential issues arising".

Taiwan Ban

In 2021, Taiwan banned using PRC China tech products across its government, including Dahua and Hikvision, ordering these be removed by the end of the year:

The broad ban includes PRC hardware, software, and services "in order to avoid theft of government and intelligence information" and avoid "risking national cybersecurity".

Violations of this ban have been found since, e.g. Secretly Relabeled Hikvision Sales Violated Taiwan Law.

Lithuania Government Ban

In 2022, the Lithuanian government outlawed China-made technology including Dahua and Hikvision for ~400 agencies, giving them until 2025 to replace existing devices. The Ministry of Defence explained this applies to:

A contracting authority that is the manager of a critical information infrastructure, participates in mobilisation tasks, is active in the field of defence or in a sector of national security importance.

This prohibition also covers other categories of technology, such as drones manufactured by DJI.

In 2024, Lithuania's Ministry of Energy announced "all equipment and private investment that generates more than 100 kW cannot use any Chinese software." While China-made surveillance equipment can be interoperable with other software, firmware is typically still made by the original manufacturer.

Commenting on Hikvision cameras purchased by the Lithuanian city Kaunas after the ban, the head of the Ministry of Defence’s cyber security team Antanas Aleknavičius argued:

It is about threats to get into the systems, especially critical infrastructure systems, it is about being able to take over the systems through updates, to see all the data that get transmitted.

Australia Federal Rip-and-Replace

In February 2023, Australia began replacing Dahua and Hikvision cameras across its federal government over national security concerns. This followed an audit led by Senator James Paterson, which found over 900 Hikvision and Dahua cameras across federal agencies:

Australia considered formalizing the move by banning the cameras, but never been announced such a policy. The Australian defence and foreign ministries were the first to investigate and replace their devices.

Australian Military Ban

In 2018, the Australian military removed Hikvision cameras at an air force base following an investigation by Australian media ABC. The defence ministry confirmed it would remove and replace any other Hikvision cameras as well.

Australian Victoria Police Ban

Australian newspaper The Age reported in February 2023 that police in the Australian state of Victoria "will replace all Chinese-made cameras" by the end of 2024.

Australian City of Geelong Ban

In February 2023, The Age reported that the Australian city of Geelong will replace "a number of Hikvision and other Chinese-made CCTV cameras" used by authorities.

South Australian Health Department Ban

In 2020, the state of South Australia's Health Department removed its Hikvision cameras due to "security concerns".

Australian Public Broadcaster Ban

In 2023, Australian state broadcaster ABC told NCA Newswire that "work is underway to remove the cameras" after Hikvision and Dahua cameras were identified at its Sydney headquarters.

Indian Navy Ban

In 2021, according to Indian magazine The Week, the Indian Navy "has asked all its bases and units" to remove PRC cameras, especially Hikvision cameras. An internal memo obtained by The Week stated, "Compromise of a CCTV system could also compromise the security of the military establishment."

India Government Ban

In March 2024, India's Ministry of Finance released a document titled "Sellers Suspended due to non-compliance with GFR Rule 144(xi)" banning 17 PRC China companies, including Hikvision and Dahua, from participating in tenders in India and warned private companies that do business with government entities against using these PRC products.

On April 9, 2024, India's Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) amended the compulsory registration order (CRO) for CCTV cameras sold in India, requiring the "verification of the trusted source for sourcing the critical hardware components related to security functions of special significance." While PRC China was not directly named in the mandate, India Today called this a "big step to counter China snooping threat from surveillance cameras."

EU Parliament Removal

In 2021, the EU Parliament voted 627-37 to remove its Hikvision cameras, citing human rights abuses:

In contrast, the EU Commission (the executive branch of the EU, akin to the US White House) decided to keep its Hikvision cameras.

Danish Capital Region Ban

In 2022, the Danish Capital Region (Region Hovedstaden), one of Denmark's five regions (equivalent to US states) and including Copenhagen, called Hikvision a "critical threat to security" and banned them, per a declassified briefing:

This came after Denmark's intelligence agency warned against PRC-made cameras in earlier 2022, calling out Hikvision's vulnerabilities and PRC data laws mandating PRC firms cooperate with national intelligence.

Danish Navy, Police Removals

Denmark's Navy and National Police forces removed 152 PRC cameras over security concerns in June 2023, Danish tech news website Radar reports.

Netherlands' Capitol Amsterdam Ban

Amsterdam's deputy mayor wrote a letter on June 5, 2024, that the city is now banning municipality purchases of "Chinese cameras," including Hikvision and Dahua, and it plans to phase out its current usage of "Chinese cameras" in the next five years. The letter specifically cited "human rights" and " cybersecurity" as key reasons that brought "Chinese cameras" into the "spotlight."

This is a particular blow to Hikvision since its Europe HQ is just 30 kilometers away from Amsterdam, where it is now banned.

New Zealand Ministry

In 2022, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) in New Zealand told media that it takes human rights "very seriously" and therefore "will exclude" Hikvision from its suppliers.

Note, the New Zealand federal government said in February 2023 it is 'not taking action' on Hikvision and Dahua cameras despite Australia's move to do so.

Norway - Oslo

Norway's capital city of Oslo banned "Chinese cameras" in facilities including for the streaming of sports in municipal arenas, as discussed here.

Corporate Entities & Institutions

Various companies and other institutions have publicly announced they are not using Hikvision and/or Dahua:

• Avarn, Scandinavia's biggest security provider by revenue, publicly dropped Hikvision over human rights in 2021.
• Scottish integrator CSS publicly dropped Hikvision in 2022 for "abhorrent behaviour not only to minority groups but its own indigenous people"
• The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund Council on Ethics announced in 2020 that Hikvision's rights abuses are "ongoing" and said it would not invest in the firm.
• The Danish pension fund divested from Hikvision over human rights concerns in November 2020.
• Nelly's has dropped Hikvision (2021) while Bosch (2020) and Honeywell (2022) have dropped Dahua.
• Western Digital and Seagate stopped selling to Dahua over 2022 semiconductor sanctions, along with Ambarella.
• Republic Services, a Fortune 500 company, barred Dahua and Hikvision over cybersecurity concerns in 2017.
• Genetec expelled Hikvision in 2016 and dropped support for Dahua and Hikvision in 2020 over national and cyber security concerns.
• Milestone continues to support Hikvision and Dahua plugins/devices but discontinued partnerships with the firms in 2022; Milestone ended Hikvision's Elite Partner status in 2019.
• Tesco, the UK's largest retailer, publicly banned Dahua and Hikvision over human rights concerns and is working on replacing them, it stated in March 2023.
• UK startup Facewatch said it dropped Hikvision "for new installs" in March 2023.

Of course, many other companies and entities have stopped using the firms, but have not confirmed this publicly.

No Known Reversals, Aside From ONVIF

IPVM could find no public evidence of entities reversing their bans aside from, notably, ONVIF, which reactivated Hikvision and Dahua in October 2022 as US sanctions terms were adjusted.