Gone are the days when racial profiling was a thing...at least that is how it should be. However, a recent report has revealed that a Chinese security company has been advertising a controversial feature: Ethnicity recognition.

Hikvision has reportedly been touting this feature to its customers in the United Kingdom and other European countries. This is even as the company already faces a ban in the UK over its involvement in ethnic cleansing in the Chinese province of Xinjiang.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Apps that target Uighurs uncovered

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The company was also placed on the US blacklist back in 2019, over allegations of human rights violations, and surveillance of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

As per a Guardian report, in a brochure on its website the company advertised a range of features like “optional Demographic Profiling Facial analysis algorithms”, including “gender, race/ethnicity, age” profiling. This was allegedly&nbsp;in collaboration with UK startup FaiceTech.

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However, FaiceTech denied ever having worked with Hikvision and said that the document was created without its knowledge and consent. It also sent a legal letter to Hikvision, demanding they remove the brochure since it can deceive the public "that our client (FaiceTech) is in some way associated with Hikvision".

Reportedly, the Hikvision website also cited a second, Italian-based company offering racial profiling in a post that has since been removed.

Guardian reports that the racial profiling posts were removed following an inquiry by the publication and the company said that the technology was never even sold in the UK.

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It further claimed that the brochure in question merely details the "potential application of our cameras, with technology built independently by FaiceTech and other partners."

The brochures were reportedly first discovered by Big Brother Watch, a campaign group. The group's legal and policy officer, &nbsp;Madeleine Stone said that "Hikvision’s surveillance products pose a real threat to rights and security. The government must act now to ban this rights-abusing technology."

She also said that such "intrusive surveillance capabilities" have no place in a democracy.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Gone are the days when racial profiling was a thing...at least that is how it should be. However, a recent report has revealed that a Chinese security company has been advertising a controversial feature: Ethnicity recognition.

Gone are the days when racial profiling was a thing...at least that is how it should be. However, a recent report has revealed that a Chinese security company has been advertising a controversial feature: Ethnicity recognition. Hikvision has reportedly been touting this feature to its customers in the United Kingdom and other European countries. This is even as the company already faces a ban in the UK over its involvement in ethnic cleansing in the Chinese province of Xinjiang. Watch | Gravitas: Apps that target Uighurs uncovered The company was also placed on the US blacklist back in 2019, over allegations of human rights violations, and surveillance of Uyghurs in Xinjiang. As per a Guardian report, in a brochure on its website the company advertised a range of features like “optional Demographic Profiling Facial analysis algorithms”, including “gender, race/ethnicity, age” profiling. This was allegedly in collaboration with UK startup FaiceTech. Also read | China services activity shrank to six-month lows in November: Caixin PMI However, FaiceTech denied ever having worked with Hikvision and said that the document was created without its knowledge and consent. It also sent a legal letter to Hikvision, demanding they remove the brochure since it can deceive the public "that our client (FaiceTech) is in some way associated with Hikvision". Reportedly, the Hikvision website also cited a second, Italian-based company offering racial profiling in a post that has since been removed. Guardian reports that the racial profiling posts were removed following an inquiry by the publication and the company said that the technology was never even sold in the UK. Also read | German chancellor Scholz says completely stopping talks with Putin 'would be a grave mistake' It further claimed that the brochure in question merely details the "potential application of our cameras, with technology built independently by FaiceTech and other partners." The brochures were reportedly first discovered by Big Brother Watch, a campaign group. The group's legal and policy officer, Madeleine Stone said that "Hikvision’s surveillance products pose a real threat to rights and security. The government must act now to ban this rights-abusing technology." She also said that such "intrusive surveillance capabilities" have no place in a democracy. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Chinese surveillance camera firm advertises racial profiling technology in UK

A Minnesota police officer who fatally shot a black motorist during a traffic stop this week was reacting to the presence of a gun, not the man&#39;s race, his lawyer said on Saturday. 
 
The fatal shooting of Philando Castile, 32, on Wednesday night in a St. Paul suburb has sparked days of protests in Minnesota and cities around the United States, intensified by a video of the bloody aftermath Castile&#39;s girlfriend Diamond Reynolds streamed live on the internet from the car. 
 
&quot;This incident had nothing to do with the race of the driver,&quot; said attorney Thomas Kelly, who represents Officer Jeronimo Yanez, who fired the fatal shots. &quot;It had everything to do with the presence of a gun.&quot; 
 
Castile was killed a day after Louisiana police fatally shot a black man during an arrest and the day before an African-American man killed five police officers and wounded seven others during a protest march in Dallas. 
 
Yanez and Officer Joseph Kauser of the St. Anthony Police Department stopped Castile&#39;s car in Falcon Heights, a suburb of St. Paul the department patrols. Both are on administrative leave, which is standard practice after an officer-involved shooting. 
 
Reynolds said in the video officers told them Castile was stopped for a broken tail light and was getting his license and registration when he was shot. Authorities have not confirmed the reason for the stop. 
 
&quot;The use of deadly force here was necessitated by the actions of the driver of the vehicle,&quot; Kelly said. 
 
Kelly said Yanez could see a weapon in the car. He declined to discuss details of the investigation. 
 
Minnesota governor Mark Dayton has said he did not believe Castile would have been shot dead had he been white, remarks which were criticised by state law enforcement groups. 
 
Rashad Turner, a &#39;Black Lives Matter&#39; St. Paul leader, said he believed police racially profiled Castile, which led to his shooting. 
 
&quot;For this guy&#39;s lawyer to say it&#39;s not a race problem, after the governor admitted it was a race problem, after the president had addressed the race problem in the country - it&#39;s an attempt to remove responsibility away from the officer,&quot; Turner said. 
 
Yanez, who is of Mexican descent, is cooperating fully with the state&#39;s investigation into the shooting, Kelly said. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s terribly saddened by the death,&quot; Kelly said. &quot;He&#39;s sad for the family of the decedent and his loved ones.&quot; 
 
Protesters have focused on the Minnesota governor&#39;s mansion in St. Paul since shortly after the shooting. More rallies and marches are planned for Saturday and Sunday. 
 
Dayton also called for the US Department of Justice to open its own investigation, but the department said on Thursday it would assist the state investigation as necessary. 
 
Ramsey county attorney John Choi has not decided whether to present the state findings to a grand jury or have his office determine if charges are warranted. Choi said on Friday law enforcement in Minnesota and nationwide must improve practices and procedures to prevent future such tragedies. 
 
(Reuters)

The incident had 'everything to do with the presence of a gun', attorney Thomas Kelly who represents Officer Jeronimo Yanez said

A Minnesota police officer who fatally shot a black motorist during a traffic stop this week was reacting to the presence of a gun, not the man's race, his lawyer said on Saturday. The fatal shooting of Philando Castile, 32, on Wednesday night in a St. Paul suburb has sparked days of protests in Minnesota and cities around the United States, intensified by a video of the bloody aftermath Castile's girlfriend Diamond Reynolds streamed live on the internet from the car. "This incident had nothing to do with the race of the driver," said attorney Thomas Kelly, who represents Officer Jeronimo Yanez, who fired the fatal shots. "It had everything to do with the presence of a gun." Castile was killed a day after Louisiana police fatally shot a black man during an arrest and the day before an African-American man killed five police officers and wounded seven others during a protest march in Dallas. Yanez and Officer Joseph Kauser of the St. Anthony Police Department stopped Castile's car in Falcon Heights, a suburb of St. Paul the department patrols. Both are on administrative leave, which is standard practice after an officer-involved shooting. Reynolds said in the video officers told them Castile was stopped for a broken tail light and was getting his license and registration when he was shot. Authorities have not confirmed the reason for the stop. "The use of deadly force here was necessitated by the actions of the driver of the vehicle," Kelly said. Kelly said Yanez could see a weapon in the car. He declined to discuss details of the investigation. Minnesota governor Mark Dayton has said he did not believe Castile would have been shot dead had he been white, remarks which were criticised by state law enforcement groups. Rashad Turner, a 'Black Lives Matter' St. Paul leader, said he believed police racially profiled Castile, which led to his shooting. "For this guy's lawyer to say it's not a race problem, after the governor admitted it was a race problem, after the president had addressed the race problem in the country - it's an attempt to remove responsibility away from the officer," Turner said. Yanez, who is of Mexican descent, is cooperating fully with the state's investigation into the shooting, Kelly said. "He's terribly saddened by the death," Kelly said. "He's sad for the family of the decedent and his loved ones." Protesters have focused on the Minnesota governor's mansion in St. Paul since shortly after the shooting. More rallies and marches are planned for Saturday and Sunday. Dayton also called for the US Department of Justice to open its own investigation, but the department said on Thursday it would assist the state investigation as necessary. Ramsey county attorney John Choi has not decided whether to present the state findings to a grand jury or have his office determine if charges are warranted. Choi said on Friday law enforcement in Minnesota and nationwide must improve practices and procedures to prevent future such tragedies. (Reuters)

Race had nothing to do with Minnesota shooting: police officer's lawyer

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Chinese surveillance camera firm advertises racial profiling technology in UK

Race had nothing to do with Minnesota shooting: police officer's lawyer