Amsterdam to Remove Chinese Surveillance Cameras

Amsterdam has announced plans to remove approximately 1,280 Chinese-made surveillance cameras from public spaces and traffic monitoring within five years, amid concerns over potential espionage and human rights violations. This decision, backed by councillor Alexander Scholtes, aims to encourage the market to seek non-Chinese alternatives. The move follows similar actions by the UK and Australia, and comes after the Netherlands’ Military Intelligence and Security Service revealed a Chinese espionage campaign. The city’s coalition government will now incorporate human rights criteria into future camera system contracts and assess the feasibility and costs of replacements on a case-by-case basis.