The county's largest local authority has pledged to review its CCTV systems amid continued security concerns and alleged human rights abuses in Chinese internment camps.

Hikvision cameras have been deployed on Kent County Council (KCC) property years after red flags were raised about the company.

Public bodies have faced accusations of employing the type of technology allegedly used in repressive acts on Uyghur Muslims in China.

KCC claims its system is secure and to replace it would prove prohibitive in its current financial position but will do so when an upgrade is needed.

Critics within the KCC Liberal Democrat group are seeking assurances from the council on ethical and security grounds.

The Chinese tech giant has consistently denied human rights abuse allegations and refutes charges the cameras can be used in state espionage.

Two years ago, it emerged local councils in the UK, secondary schools, health trusts, universities and police forces employed Chinese-built technology.

In 2023, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling and Tunbridge Wells councils confirmed they will stop using the cameras produced by Hikvision.

Hikvision cameras are popular because they are considered in security circles to be well-made, reliable and economical.

But two years ago, the United States banned the import of surveillance products from a number of Chinese suppliers, including Hikvision, amid mounting concerns.

In July 2021, the House of Commons' Foreign Affairs select committee published a report which stated: “Cameras made by the Chinese firm Hikvision have been deployed throughout Xinjiang, and provide the primary camera technology used in the internment camps.”

The report also said: “The crimes being committed against the Uyghurs and other ethnic groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) are truly horrifying.

“The Chinese government is responsible for the mass detention of more than a million Uyghurs, for forcing them into industrial-scale forced labour programmes, and for attempting to wipe out Uyghur and Islamic culture in the region through forced sterilisation of women, destruction of cultural sites, and separation of children from families.”

The committee concluded in its report: "Equipment manufactured by companies such as Hikvision...should not be permitted to operate within the UK.

“We recommend that the Government prohibits organisations and individuals in the UK from doing business with any companies known to be associated with the Xinjiang atrocities through the sanctions regime.

“The Government should prohibit UK firms and public sector bodies from conducting business with, investing in, or entering into partnerships with such Chinese firm…”

In November 2022, the Cabinet Office told government departments to stop installing kit from companies subject to China's National Intelligence Law, which compels bodies to co-operate in state intelligence work.

But it has not imposed a local authority ban on the use of Hikvision cameras, so there is nothing to stop KCC employing its products.

The relevant minister, Sir Jeremy Quinn, said at the time: "Protecting the nation’s security has always been the government’s number one job.

“These new measures will protect our sensitive sectors from companies which could threaten national security and are a firm deterrence to hostile actors who wish to do Britain harm.

“This builds on the robust rules within the Procurement Bill to hold suppliers to account and ensure that the taxpayer is protected.”

The government’s chief security adviser told Hikvision its products could be used at public sites but not “sensitive” areas such as defence and intelligence facilities.

Leader of the Liberal Democrat group at KCC, Cllr Antony Hook, said: "We need to establish that CCTV cameras used by KCC are secure.

“If the council is using cameras from a company connected to the Chinese government then there will be an obvious concern that they could be misused to send images or audio to China.

"People may think that what happens in Kent County Council will not be of interest to Beijing and, by itself, it might not be but what they can use is a big picture using data across organisations to tell them what's happening in the UK.

"This is why, I understand, certain Chinese apps have been banned on government phones and devices.

"Technicians should be able to look at the equipment to confirm whether it is secure.

"We should be equally concerned if any equipment purchased by KCC is from any companies that are connected to human rights abuses. We need strong ethical policies in places for when we make purchases."

Professor Fraser Sampson, the recently departed Government-backed Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner, said last October: "Parliament has already acted to curtail the use of equipment made by several Chinese manufacturers from some areas of public life where security is key.

“Myself and others have been saying for some time that we should, both for security and ethical reasons, really be asking ourselves whether it is ever appropriate for public bodies to use equipment made by companies with such serious questions hanging over them."

Philip Ingram, a former senior British military intelligence officer, said: “The ethical concerns about Chinese tech companies with links to the Chinese state are extremely well-founded, in my view.

“I would be encouraging our public bodies to move to products that do not come from high threat countries and move towards domestic manufacturers here in the UK."

A Hikvision statement said: “As a manufacturer, Hikvision has always been clear that the company and our products can be of great benefit to the UK and are demonstrably not a national security threat.

“We welcomed the recent decision by the UK Government allowing our products to continue being used in private and public sector buildings. “We believe this recognises the quality and security credentials of our products and adds to a growing consensus about the safety, integrity and cybersecurity of our technology.

“Hikvision’s products are subject to strict security requirements and are compliant with the applicable laws and regulations in the UK. As a global leader in video security, the company is committed to upholding the highest industry standards and we take all reports regarding human rights very seriously.”

A KCC statement said: “The awareness of the issues with Hikvision was first highlighted in late 2021/early 2022. A decision was taken by those overseeing KCC property not to install any brand new Hikvision systems across our corporate estate from that point onwards.

“We are also content that the existing installations within KCC properties are all cabled to a secure Network Video Recorder (NVR), which is not networked outside the building. There is minimal risk as KCC does not use the software that allows web monitoring, and all footage remains enclosed on site.

“Therefore physical access to the device is required to view any footage taken, which mitigates the security concern.

“We have considered proactively replacing the Hikvision system entirely, but this would be a very costly move and put even more strain on the council’s finances, which are already under substantial pressure. It has therefore been decided that we will replace when maintenance and upgrades are undertaken.

“We will continue to monitor the latest guidance and follow the advice we are given regarding taking extra steps to minimise any risks regarding the use of Hikvision in our properties.”