VVD: 'Purchase of Chinese cameras by NS highly undesirable'

This is according to written questions by Queeny Rajkowski and Fahid Minhas (both VVD) to Minister of Justice and Security Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius and State Secretary for Digitalization Alexandra van Huffelen (1).

NS wants to buy thousands of new Chinese cameras

Last week, Follow The Money reported that there are more than 10,000 cameras on trains, at stations and at bike racks. These have been installed to monitor train passengers and protect rail workers. Most of these cameras were purchased from Western manufacturers such as Bosch and Siemens.

At the same time, a significant portion -- estimated at some 1,500 cameras -- comes from Chinese competitors such as Hikvision and Dahua. Privacy experts find this problematic. They have pointed out more than once that any images recorded by these cameras may end up in the hands of the Chinese government, the People's Liberation Army or secret services. Intelligence and security agencies in our country have also warned about cyber espionage.

ProRail therefore decided to remove all 196 Hikvision cameras before the end of the year. NS does not want to know anything about that. Indeed, the railroad company says it wants to buy thousands more new cameras from Chinese products. A spokesman defended the decision by saying there is "no negative government advice" on the table and that the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) sees no reason to replace Chinese cameras.

NCTV designates rail infrastructure as vital infrastructure

Follow The Money's investigation raised questions for the VVD. Rajkowsky and Minhas decided to submit them to Minister Yeşilgöz-Zegerius and State Secretary Van Huffelen. First, the MPs ask whether the report is true that the NS is considering buying thousands of new cameras from Chinese manufacturers. They also wonder exactly how many cameras are involved and where they will be installed.

What the VVDers are troubled by is that the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV) has designated the transportation of people and goods by rail infrastructure as vital infrastructure. "How do you weigh the purchase of products and services from countries with an offensive cyber strategy directed against the Netherlands in the vital infrastructure?", Rajkowski and Minhas ask Yeşilgöz-Zegerius and Van Huffelen.

The MPs leave no room for misunderstanding: they find it "highly undesirable" that the NS is using cameras made by Chinese tech companies partly owned by the Chinese state. "To what extent is the cabinet tight-lipped about tenders from countries with offensive cyber programs (including China) to organizations in which the government has shares?" is how Minister Yeşilgöz-Zegerius and State Secretary Van Huffelen should explain.

Millions of Dutch people filmed by Chinese cameras

Rajkowski and Minhas wonder if the government advises parties that are part of the critical infrastructure on the purchase of security cameras. They wonder what the government would advise NS in that case. They want to know if it is true that there is no negative advice from the NCSC on Hikvision and Dahua on the table. "If so, why has no negative opinion been issued to date? If no, what is required for this?"

"Do you agree that it is unacceptable that millions of Dutch people are being filmed by controversial Chinese cameras of which it is not clear what will be done with this footage?" the VVD members ask the ministers. They ask what the cabinet will do to ensure that there are no more Chinese cameras.

In closing, the Liberals ask about the status of implementation of two motions. One motion deals with a scan of equipment or software from organizations from countries with an offensive cyber agenda against our country. The other motion concerns the development of a directive to exclude products or services of organizations and companies from countries with an offensive cyber agenda from certain procurements.

1. https://www.tweedekamer.nl/kamerstukken/kamervragen/detail?id=2022Z16709&did=2022D35136