One thing that is relevant to everyone but easily overlooked is that China is the fastest growing country in the world for video surveillance, and 100% coverage of surveillance cameras is already available in the first-tier cities.

　　A group of data from industry research firm IHS Markit shows that China has 176 million surveillance cameras in the public and private sectors （including airports, train stations and streets）, while in the United States only about 50 million cameras are installed. It is expected that the number of cameras installed in China will increase to 626 million in three years.

　　At the same time, the Chinese video surveillance market is worth 6.4 billion US dollars, and the annual growth rate of 12% is expected to continue until 2021. In contrast, the US figure is $2.9 billion, with an annual growth rate of less than 1%.

　　According to IHS statistics, in the field of closed-circuit television （CCTV） and video surveillance, Hikvision's global market share in 2016 increased to 21.4%, the world's number one for six consecutive years, is the industry's well-deserved “big brother.”

　　This set of data was turned out because of the expansion of Hikvision in the United States in the past year, causing dissatisfaction from competitors. “It is no exaggeration to say that their equipment has drowned the United States in the past year,” said a former employee of a video surveillance equipment company in Florida. As the Chinese government holds a 42% stake in Hikvision, it has also caused some American institutions to worry about security. A petition letter was submitted to Congress stating that Hikvision equipment may place the United States under the supervision of the Chinese government. The previous US House of Representatives in 2012 also determined that Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. and ZTE Corporation pose a threat to US national security for similar reasons, and suggested that the US government avoid doing business with it.

　　John Hanover, a senior US security industry insider, responded cautiously to these industry rumors. He said: “There is no evidence that these cameras have sent data back to China, and there is no ”back door“ in Hikvision products.”

　　Hikvision's market capitalization has surpassed Sony's

　　The rise of Hikvision is indeed related to the expanding surveillance needs of the Chinese government. According to information released by the company, in 2011, Hikvision received a $1.2 billion Chongqing “Safe City” monitoring project to add 200,000 surveillance cameras in three years. In addition, Hikvision is also the equipment provider for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

　　Hikvision's advanced technology allows these cameras to capture clear images even in foggy, rainy and even dim environments. The system also automatically recognizes the license plate of the car and finds out whether the driver is using the phone while driving, face recognition technology, plus identification of body type, hair color and clothing, enabling these devices to track specific objects.

　　Hikvision's heat map technology can be used for demographics and data collection

　　Is it safer or less secure? The use of surveillance cameras on a large scale has been controversial. Public space image surveillance systems have been proven to help increase the detection rate. According to public data from the Shanghai police, surveillance cameras helped them arrest 6,000 suspects last year. Changsha police said that since the camera was installed four years ago, the camera has helped the police detect more than 1,200 cases.

　　During the Champions League this year, Cardiff City, Wales, UK deployed a face recognition system at the subway station and main train station around the stadium. Each face of 170,000 visitors was scanned and scanned with 500,000 police databases. The “close attention to the object” for real-time comparison.

　　The rapid spread of video surveillance in China is mainly driven by the government. CCTV “Glorious China” recently claimed in the program that China has completed the major project “China Skynet”, the world's largest video surveillance network. The display system can clearly detect the types and colors of vehicles on the road and the age and gender of pedestrians in real time. , clothing and so on. This is led by the Central Political and Legal Committee, and the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other ministries and commissions jointly initiated the construction of the national project.

　　However, there are gaps in the regulatory regulations such as the installation approval of surveillance cameras and the length of time for monitoring images; the clarity and production standards of monitoring equipment need to be unified; personal privacy should not be a topic of debate for public safety.

　　After the Twin Towers terrorist attacks, the number of cameras in New York City has skyrocketed, but protests against the proliferation of cameras have never stopped. New York street performers perform silent performances in business districts or tourist attractions. Their performances usually start with a camera above the top of the arm, and several cardboards with performance themes are held in the middle, not only for the monitors behind the camera. Also, in order to attract the attention of passers-by.

　　In 2009, the NGO New York Civil Liberties Union hired a large number of lawyers and other professionals to negotiate with courts, legislatures, etc., and compiled thousands of documents to bring the “Steel Ring” project of the New York Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security to court. .

　　Anti-terrorism and privacy, like a pair of contradictory twin brothers, involve the application of this technology. Three large-scale camera installations on the streets of New York were associated with combating theft, combating drug trafficking and counter-terrorism. But the sense of uneasiness that is sneaked into privacy requires independent justice and clear oversight standards to eliminate it.