you can create mayhem — cheaply and remotely. we've all seen the italian job in our youth where you bring the whole of turin to a halt through the traffic light system. well, that might've been fiction then. it wouldn't be now. that's a very potent weapon that you have. why would we put that in the hands of another state? hikvision says it's an independent company and isn't a threat to uk national security, it has never conducted espionage—related activities for any government, nor will it, and that its products are compliant with uk laws and regulations. dahua says it's not state—backed and its equipment could not interfere with the uk's critical infrastructure.