This week, a significant development occurred as Chairman John Moolenaar and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the U.S. and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) addressed concerns to FBI Director Kash Patel. They urged the cessation of certification for products from Chinese military-linked companies that could potentially be used for surveillance on Americans or bolster China's surveillance capabilities.
The focus is on biometric devices certified by the FBI from 32 Chinese firms, including Hikvision. Moolenaar and Krishnamoorthi emphasized in their letter, "Including these products on the Certified Products List grants these companies the FBI’s seal of approval, which they can leverage to market their products as FBI-approved to customers in the U.S. government, elsewhere in the United States, and around the globe." They warned this could lead to risky procurement by U.S. entities despite potential security threats.
The letter highlighted Hikvision's conflict with U.S. national security priorities:
- In 2019, Hikvision was added to the Department of Commerce's Entity List due to its involvement in human rights violations in Xinjiang.
- Section 889 of the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act prohibits federal contracts with Hikvision due to its video surveillance equipment being a national security risk.
- Executive Order 13959 designated Hikvision in 2021 as linked to China’s military-industrial complex.
This action is part of a broader effort by the Select Committee to counter Chinese military-linked technology and protect American data. The committee expressed readiness to collaborate with the FBI to ensure secure technological infrastructure against foreign threats.
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