Amazon and Flipkart review uncertified cameras in India — Channel NewsAsia
Amazon and Walmart-owned Flipkart have begun reviewing listings for online surveillance cameras on their platforms in India. The companies launched the review after Reuters found hundreds of models without the required government approval. As Channel NewsAsia reports, citing Reuters, two people familiar with the matter told the agency that models without government approval were to be removed from the platforms.
Hundreds of models absent from standards database
A Reuters analysis showed that more than 700 of approximately 770 listings for online cameras on Amazon and Flipkart concerned models that were not listed in the public database of the Bureau of Indian Standards among approved brands or cameras.
Since April, surveillance camera manufacturers in India have been required to submit hardware and software for testing to obtain certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards before selling devices. The rules, first announced in 2024, were introduced amid concerns in New Delhi over the possible transfer of sensitive video data abroad.
Gulshan Rai, a former cybersecurity chief under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, called the online sale of unapproved cameras a serious problem. According to him, a compromised camera can create surveillance risks and become an entry point for a cyberattack.
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Removal of listings and companies' positions
Since Tuesday, at least a dozen listings have been removed from the platforms, including at least two EZVIZ brand models made by Hikvision. On Amazon, these products are marked as temporarily unavailable. At the same time, as of Thursday, hundreds of listings still remained on the platforms.
Reuters also found on Amazon at least eight WiFi camera models by Hikvision and Dahua without Indian approval. None of the 138 listings for Maizic Smarthomes WiFi cameras on Amazon, including bulb-shaped devices, had approval in the Bureau of Indian Standards database either.
Maizic co-founder Santosh Kumar Singh told Reuters that the company had removed the WiFi feature that enabled video streaming from the cameras, and until approval is obtained, the devices will work only through a direct connection to a nearby mobile device. Amazon declined to comment on the situation, while Flipkart did not respond to Reuters' requests.
