{"id":2088261,"date":"2023-11-02T16:01:01","date_gmt":"2023-11-02T20:01:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lawmakers-demand-answers-from-costco-over-sale-of-surveillance-equipment-made-using-banned-chinese-components\/"},"modified":"2023-11-02T16:04:16","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T20:04:16","slug":"lawmakers-demand-answers-from-costco-over-sale-of-surveillance-equipment-made-using-banned-chinese-components","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lawmakers-demand-answers-from-costco-over-sale-of-surveillance-equipment-made-using-banned-chinese-components\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawmakers seek answers from Costco on sale of surveillance gear with &#8216;banned Chinese parts&#8217;."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Flawmakers-demand-answers-from-costco-over-sale-of-surveillance-equipment-made-using-banned-chinese-components%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2088261&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>Lawmakers Demand Answers from Costco Over Sale of Chinese Security Products<\/h2>\n<p>Two bipartisan lawmakers are demanding answers from Costco over its decision to continue selling Chinese-manufactured security products that have been linked to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/just-like-the-good-old-days-joe-biden-invades-syria-with-convoy-of-us-troops-and-choppers-on-first-full-day-as-president\/\" title=\"Just Like the Good Old Days: Joe Biden Invades Syria with Convoy of US Troops and Choppers on First Full Day as President\">human rights abuses<\/a> and cybersecurity risks.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/24103929-costco-lawmakers-letter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">letter<\/a> dated\u2063 Oct. 31, \u2064Rep. Christopher \u2063Smith (R-N.J.) and \u2063Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.)\u2064 questioned the retail giant&#8217;s continued sale of Lorex security products, noting the company previously had ties to China-based company \u2063Dahua, whose\u2062 products are restricted in the United States by the Federal Communications Commission\u2063 (FCC).<\/p>\n<p>Lorex is a former subsidiary of camera maker Zhejiang Dahua Technology, a China-based company that was added to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.federalregister.gov\/documents\/2019\/10\/09\/2019-22210\/addition-of-certain-entities-to-the-entity-list\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">U.S. trade blacklist<\/a> in 2019 owing to the \u200dChinese Communist Party&#8217;s (CCP&#8217;s) treatment of Uyghurs and\u200d other predominantly Muslim\u200d ethnic minorities.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/opinion\/hope-for-economic-reform-in-china-dies-with-li-keqiang-5521061?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"text-sm sm:text-base\">Hope for Economic Reform in China Dies\u2062 With Li Keqiang<\/h3>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">11\/1\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/opinion\/china-joins-hamas-erases-israel-from-map-5520493?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"text-sm sm:text-base\">China Joins Hamas, Erases Israel From Map<\/h3>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">11\/1\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The U.S. Department of Commerce, \u2062in placing the company on the blacklist, \u2063said it and other entities &#8220;have been implicated in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ai-babies-are-a-thing-and-theyre-raising-major-ethical-questions\/\" title=\"'AI Babies' Exist, Prompting Ethical Concerns\">human \u2062rights\u2064 violations<\/a> and abuses in the implementation of China&#8217;s campaign of repression, \u2063mass\u200d arbitrary detention, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lifting-sanctions-may-help-russians-supply-spy-satellites-to-iran\/\" title=\"Lifting Sanctions May Help Russians Supply Spy Satellites to Iran\">high-technology surveillance<\/a> against Uighurs, Kazakhs, and other members of Muslim minority groups&#8221; in China&#8217;s Xinjiang region.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the FCC last\u200d year <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fcc.gov\/document\/fcc-bans-authorizations-devices-pose-national-security-threat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">banned<\/a> the sale of new telecommunications and surveillance \u200bequipment made by Dahua, citing an &#8220;unacceptable risk&#8221; and national security concerns.<\/p>\n<p>Dahua sold Lorex earlier this year\u200c to Taiwanese-based \u200ccompany Skywatch for around\u2063 $72 million.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h2>&#8216;Invasive Surveillance Technology&#8217;<\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The lawmakers went on to note that Costco&#8217;s competitors\u200c including Best Buy, Home Depot, and Lowe\u2019s, have all <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/us-retail-giants-stop-selling-chinese-surveillance-tech-linked-to-xinjiang-4085723\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">discontinued the sale of Lorex\u2064 products,<\/a> \u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/taliban-terrorists-write-to-u-s-congress-asking-for-money\/\" title=\"Taliban Terrorists Write to U.S. Congress Asking for Money\">citing human rights<\/a> and ethical sourcing concerns.<\/p>\n<p>This,\u2062 they said, makes Costco\u2019s continued \u2063sale of the equipment &#8220;all the more puzzling \u2064and seemingly in conflict with your \u2062company\u2019s stated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.costco.com\/disclosure-regarding-human-trafficking-and-anti-slavery.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">commitment<\/a> to the United Nations Guiding\u200d Principles on Business and Human\u200b Rights and the International Bill of Human Rights.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Costco&#8217;s Code of Conduct prohibits human rights abuses in its supply chain.<\/p>\n<p>The lawmakers also went \u2062on to note that the U.S. government had linked Dahua to the genocide of the Uyghurs and other predominately Muslim ethnic minorities \u200cin Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Dahua developed alert and tracking technology that allows police to identify ethnic Uyghur faces and deploy invasive surveillance technology, such \u200cas Wi-Fi sniffers,&#8221;\u2062 they wrote. &#8220;Dahua also co<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lawmakers-demand-answers-from-costco-over-sale-of-surveillance-equipment-made-using-banned-chinese-components\/\" title=\"Lawmakers seek answers from Costco on sale of surveillance gear with 'banned Chinese parts'.\">-developed &#8216;ethnicity tracking&#8217; technical standards<\/a> within China\u200c that\u200c predict \u200dthe probability an individual is a Uyghur, Tibetan, or\u2062 other ethnic group.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We should all\u2064 agree\u200b that in a national security state \u2062like the PRC [People&#8217;s Republic of China],\u200b Dahua\u2019s efforts to help track and identify ethnic \u200cminorities are particularly noxious and should be condemned. American consumers should\u200d not be subsidizing a company actively enabling \u200bthe PRC\u2019s \u200catrocities, including imports of goods made with forced labor in the XUAR,&#8221; they said.<\/p>\n<p>Critical vulnerabilities also regularly discovered in Dahua products pose a known security risk to U.S. \u2064customers \u200dtoo, the lawmakers argued, noting reports of &#8220;unauthorized viewing of video and audio feeds and archives, as well as unauthorized\u2064 network access and remote tampering with settings.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h2>Seafood From Chinese Firms &#8216;Using\u200d Forced Labor&#8217;<\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Dahua has denied claims it shares \u200cany data and \u200dsaid its products are safe.<\/p>\n<p>However, the lawmakers noted China&#8217;s 2017 National Intelligence\u2063 Law which requires\u200b companies, including Dahua, to support the CCP&#8217;s intelligence work, meaning they are unable to\u200d withhold \u2063data collected from Chinese\u2062 authorities, should they request it.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, the lawmakers requested Costco\u2064 hand\u200c over an array of documents and information including an explanation as to why it has not stopped selling the\u200b Lorex products and how its sale of the equipment complies with U.S. restrictions.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the lawmakers also asked Costco \u2063to provide details\u2014including the audits and risk\u200d assessments it\u200d uses\u2014to &#8220;justify&#8221; its\u200c sale of seafood from\u2063 Chinese companies that\u200c allegedly use forced labor to catch and process seafood for U.S. consumers, citing recently published research by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theoutlawocean.com\/investigations\/china-the-superpower-of-seafood\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Outlaw \u200cOcean Project<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>According to that\u2064 research, ethnic Uyghurs are being relocated and forced to work in processing facilities operated by an array of Chinese firms, with the seafood items making their way onto the shelves of U.S. retailers, including Costco, Kroger, and Walmart, among\u2062 others.<\/p>\n<p>In response to the claims made in the Outlaw Ocean Project <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theoutlawocean.com\/investigations\/china-the-superpower-of-seafood\/the-uyghurs-forced-to-process-the-worlds-fish\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">report<\/a>, a spokesperson for Walmart told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/news\/news-desk\/the-uyghurs-forced-to-process-the-worlds-fish\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The New Yorker<\/a> \u200c that \u2062the company &#8220;expects all our \u2064suppliers to comply with our standards and contractual obligations, including those relating to human rights.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>A spokesperson for\u200c Albertsons told the publication it\u200d would stop purchasing certain seafood products from Canadian importer High Liner Foods, which reportedly worked with Chinese suppliers.<\/p>\n<p>Costco and Kroger did not respond to The \u200bNew Yorker&#8217;s \u2064request for comment at \u2063the time.<\/p>\n<p>Responding to the lawmakers&#8217; letter, a representative for Costco <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/lawmakers-press-costco-on-china-forced-labor-2a12e67d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">told<\/a> The\u2063 Wall Street Journal, &#8220;We are currently reviewing the letter, and we will respond \u200din due course.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Epoch Times has contacted Costco for further comment.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What steps has Costco taken to \u2063ensure compliance with its Code of Conduct regarding human rights abuses?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Ponse to human rights abuses and\u2064 national security risks. They also requested information on\u200b Costco&#8217;s\u2062 due \u2062diligence \u2062processes for ensuring \u200dethical sourcing and compliance with its Code of Conduct.<\/p>\n<p>The lawmakers\u200c emphasized that other major\u2062 retailers \u200chave\u200c already made the decision\u200b to discontinue the\u200c sale of Lorex products due to similar concerns. They pointed out that\u200b Costco&#8217;s\u2063 continued sale of these products seems contradictory \u200cto the \u200ccompany&#8217;s \u2062stated commitment to international human \u200crights \u200cprinciples. Costco&#8217;s own Code of Conduct explicitly prohibits human \u200drights\u200b abuses in its supply chain.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the lawmakers highlighted \u200cthe U.S. government&#8217;s link between Dahua, Lorex&#8217;s \u2062former parent company, and\u200b the ongoing \u200bgenocide of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in China&#8217;s Xinjiang region. They expressed condemnation of Dahua&#8217;s development of surveillance technology that\u200d aids in tracking and identifying ethnic minorities, as well \u2063as its\u2064 co-development of \u2064&#8221;ethnicity tracking&#8221;\u2062 standards within China. They \u2063argued that supporting a company actively enabling the \u200batrocities committed by the Chinese government should not be tolerated.<\/p>\n<p>The lawmakers also drew attention to the cybersecurity risks associated with Dahua products, pointing to reports of unauthorized \u2062access and tampering with settings. These vulnerabilities pose a known security risk to U.S.\u2062 customers, putting \u200ctheir privacy and security in jeopardy.<\/p>\n<p>Dahua has denied any\u2063 wrongdoing and stated\u2064 that its products are safe. However, \u200dthe lawmakers raised\u200c concerns about China&#8217;s National Intelligence Law, which requires companies like Dahua to support the Chinese Communist Party&#8217;s intelligence work. This\u2064 raises doubts about the data privacy and \u2064security of Dahua&#8217;s products<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Two lawmakers, Rep. Christopher Smith and Sen. Jeff Merkley, have written a letter to Costco, seeking explanations for their decision to sell Chinese-made security products associated with human rights violations and cybersecurity threats. The letter, dated Oct. 31, specifically mentions Lorex security products and raises concerns about their availability at the retail giant.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":69,"featured_media":2088262,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2088261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2088261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/69"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2088261"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2088261\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2088262"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2088261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2088261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2088261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}