Opinion | Is Australia’s fear over Chinese-made surveillance cameras justified?

Cameras by China’s Dahua and Hikvision have been linked to rights violations in Xinjiang, while both firms also work with the CCP, Australia’s government audit showed

Australia should take a more systematic approach in the use of all critical data-collecting communication technologies and create rules for suppliers

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People walk past a security camera in Melbourne. Australia’s defence department will strip its buildings of Chinese-made security cameras to ensure they are “completely secure”, the government said. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:00am, 14 Feb 2023Updated: 1:24pm, 14 Feb 2023

Australian government offices have removed more than 900 Chinese-made surveillance cameras, intercoms, electronic entry systems and video recorders, after a recent government audit found the technology had been installed in more than 250 departments and agencies.

Concerns over the cameras prompted dire warnings from the shadow cybersecurity minister, James Paterson, who has previously called Chinese espionage and foreign interference the greatest threat to Australia’s way of life.

According to Paterson, ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess has expressed similar concerns about the cameras, saying “where data would end up and what else it could be used for would be of great concern to me and my agency”.

China, meanwhile, has reacted to the order to remove the cameras as an “erroneous” action that abuses state power and discriminates against Chinese companies.

So, why are Australian officials so worried about these cameras, and is the level of concern justified?

Opinion | Is Australia’s fear over Chinese-made surveillance cameras justified?

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