The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has officially appealed to leading video surveillance system installers and international insurance companies in Europe, urging them to reconsider the use of Hikvision and Dahua technologies in light of documented misuse—particularly in conflicts and mass surveillance.
“We call for responsible risk management. This is about protecting your clients’ data, reputation, and security,” emphasized WUC President Turgunjan Alawudun. “The situation requires internal audits and a reassessment of future partnerships.”
In September 2025, the WUC, together with the international initiative Don’t Fund Russian Army (DFRA) and the French law firm Bourdon & Associés, filed a criminal complaint with a civil claim in France against the subsidiaries of Huawei, Hikvision, and Dahua.
The basis for this filing were proven facts showing that these systems were used for mass ethnic surveillance of Uyghurs in China—acts that have already been officially recognized internationally as crimes against humanity and genocide.
The lawsuit also includes evidence provided by DFRA that during Russian attacks on Ukraine, hacked Hikvision and Dahua cameras were used to adjust artillery fire in real time—confirming that these technologies pose not only ethical concerns but also a direct cyber and operational threat.
The use of Hikvision and Dahua increases cyber risks: widespread vulnerabilities allow third parties to gain unauthorized access, disrupt infrastructure, or steal video footage and personal data. This leads to a higher likelihood of insurance claims, GDPR violations, and financial losses for insurance companies’ clients.
The new EU Cyber Resilience Act and CSDDD expand insurers’ responsibilities—not only after an incident but already at the stage of assessing clients. In practice, this results in one of three scenarios: increased insurance premiums, refusal of coverage, or a revised risk assessment policy requiring additional security measures.
“This is not a question of geography—it’s a question of infrastructure vulnerability and trust. If a system can be hacked, it will be hacked,” said Olga Matseliukh, Director of the Don’t Fund Russian Army initiative (DFRA). “For European businesses, this means the risk of personal data leaks, serious operational losses, and a higher likelihood of insurance and regulatory claims.”
For installers, the risks are different—but no less serious. Hikvision and Dahua are officially linked to mass surveillance and repeated hacking incidents in the USA, EU, and Ukraine. In the event of a data leak or foreign interference, the responsibility will not fall on the Chinese manufacturer, but on the local integrator who installed or recommended such a solution.
A single public incident can lead to losing access to municipal tenders, customer trust, and the right to work with critical infrastructure. The European market is guided by the principle: “If you doubt the safety of a technology—don’t install it.”
The World Uyghur Congress has already sent official letters to key players in the European market, including insurance giants Allianz, Munich Re (Germany), VidaCaixa, Mapfre, Mutua Madrilena, Grupo Catalana Occidente (GCO) (Spain), AXA, Crédit Agricole Assurances, CNP Assurances, and Covéa (France).
Also addressed were leading video surveillance system integrators—Securitas Deutschland (Securitas Holding GmbH), KÖTTER, Securiton Deutschland (Securiton GmbH) (Germany), Securitas Seguridad España, Prosegur Seguridad, Securitas Direct by Verisure, Grupo Control Seguridad, Segurma (Spain), Goron S.A.S, Videoconsult, Ubitech Business, OPTI SECURITE, Nexecur, IMA Protect (France).
These companies set security and risk management standards not only in their respective countries but across the EU as a whole. Their stance can shape the market norm for years to come.
WUC and DFRA urge European companies to act proactively rather than wait for a crisis. In a time when cyberattacks and data breaches can paralyze a business in minutes, technologies with proven vulnerabilities cannot remain unchecked.
We call on insurance companies and installers to initiate internal audits, review cooperation policies with high-risk technology manufacturers, and consider a phased withdrawal from Hikvision and Dahua where justified from a security standpoint.
A preventive decision today is the protection of data, reputation, and trust tomorrow.
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