• The Canadian government has ordered Hikvision to cease operations due to national security concerns.
• Industry Minister Melanie Joly stated that continuing operations would be injurious to national security.
• Hikvision has faced sanctions in the U.S. over allegations related to human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
• The order bans the purchase of Hikvision products in Canadian government departments.
• Hikvision criticized the decision, calling it biased and lacking transparency.

The Canadian government has ordered Chinese surveillance manufacturer Hikvision to cease all operations within Canada, as announced by Industry Minister Melanie Joly. This decision was made in light of national security concerns, following a comprehensive review of information provided by Canada's security and intelligence community, which indicated that the company's continued operations would pose risks to national security, according to Channel News Asia, TRT Global, and Reuters.

Joly has emphasized that the action follows mounting scrutiny surrounding Hikvision's operations, particularly its ties to allegations of human rights abuses involving the Uyghur population in China’s Xinjiang region. The firm has been under significant restrictions, particularly from the United States, for its perceived complicity in these issues, as detailed by TRT Global and Reuters.

In addition to halting operations, Canada is also mandating a ban on purchasing Hikvision products within government departments and agencies and plans to ensure that any legacy products currently in use are reviewed and potentially removed. Despite the government’s stance, Hikvision has expressed its discontent with the decision, stating it lacks fairness and transparency, and instead appears motivated by broader geopolitical tensions rather than factual assessments, as reported by Channel News Asia, TRT Global, and Reuters.