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Hikvision’s Hik-Connect mobile app has been a significant topic for discussion in recent weeks. We’ve noticed that people have been asking things like “why can’t I access the latest update for Version 4 of the Hik-Connect (4.1.0) app for Android through Google’s Play Store” and “can I trust the .apk file download method for updating to Version 4 of the Hik-Connect mobile app through the Hikvision App Store?” The intention of this post is to announce the information that we have and to clarify the current situation at hand.
For instructions on how to update via this new method, see this post on how to update the Hik-Connect App on your Android phone using Hikvision's App Store.
Who does this affect and is this new method for updating Hik-Connect safe?
The first thing that needs to be stated is that this is an issue isolated to Android devices and the Google Play Store. Any of you using Apple devices are still able to update to iOS Version 4.1.0 as normal through the App store. I have updated to iOS Version 4 and can say that it appears to be the same as the Android Version 4 which is downloadable from Hikvision’s own App Store, despite being released four days earlier. We can confirm that the download link for the .apk update file is safe, we have used it ourselves, and that it is fully functional. It is also worth pointing out that the Hikvision App Store is a “HTTPS” (“Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure”) encrypted website, which is the most secure type of webpage that you can get. All of your online banking and shopping will be done on HTTPS enrypted sites, so you can have peace of mind that you are downloading from a secure webpage. Furthermore, HikVision are such a colossal company with so much to lose on the line, we are more than comfortable in trusting their own App Store for updating.
Why has the update method for the Hik-Connect App changed for Android users?
From the information we have and after asking Hikvision directly to comment on the changes, we understand that these changes are a result of the United States’ Entity List, which is ever-growing under the Trump Administration. Along with other major organisations, most notably Huawei, Hikvision have been added to this blacklist which prevents them from using Google Mobile Services (GMS) on Android phones and tablets. Hikvision itself explained in an email to the Android users of its app that “the relocation of the Android app comes as a result of the U.S. Entity List restrictions.” They also reassure us that we can trust the Hikvision App Store as a method for downloading and further updates “safely and quickly” and that everything on their own app store is “fully compliant with the design and development guidelines applied to Android/iOS operating systems.”
The following passage has been sourced from the Financial Times and outlines the Trump Administration’s motivations behind adding Hikvision to the list:
As the US administration ratcheted up pressure on China over the past year in the midst of a trade war … it also imposed export controls on dealings with other companies including surveillance technology group Hikvision, on the grounds that their products are used by Beijing to perpetrate human rights abuses.
The vice-president of the US, Mike Pence, justified this imposing of export controls during a speech in October last year. He stated that:
In recent years, China has taken a sharp U-turn toward control and oppression of its own people ... China has built an unparalleled surveillance state, and it’s growing more expansive and intrusive – often with the help of U.S. technology. What they call the “Great Firewall of China” likewise grows higher, drastically restricting the free flow of information to the Chinese people.
Our advice? Don’t panic and update to V4 of the app, if you wish, with peace of mind. We see no reason for concern as it’s just not credence to Hikvision exposing any back door vulnerabilities to their software, regardless of what might have been said by those in the U.S.
What happens next?
In truth, we don’t know. We hope that the Countries’ political differences will be resolved in the near future so that, for the sake of simplicity, Android updates can be carried out through Google’s Play Store again. We’ll post any updates regarding Hik-Connect V4 on both Android and to this thread as soon as we have them. If you update to this version via Hikvision’s new App Store, do share your experiences with the new update below in this thread.
For instructions on how to update via this new method, see this post on how to update the Hik-Connect App on your Android phone using Hikvision's App Store.
Who does this affect and is this new method for updating Hik-Connect safe?
The first thing that needs to be stated is that this is an issue isolated to Android devices and the Google Play Store. Any of you using Apple devices are still able to update to iOS Version 4.1.0 as normal through the App store. I have updated to iOS Version 4 and can say that it appears to be the same as the Android Version 4 which is downloadable from Hikvision’s own App Store, despite being released four days earlier. We can confirm that the download link for the .apk update file is safe, we have used it ourselves, and that it is fully functional. It is also worth pointing out that the Hikvision App Store is a “HTTPS” (“Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure”) encrypted website, which is the most secure type of webpage that you can get. All of your online banking and shopping will be done on HTTPS enrypted sites, so you can have peace of mind that you are downloading from a secure webpage. Furthermore, HikVision are such a colossal company with so much to lose on the line, we are more than comfortable in trusting their own App Store for updating.
Why has the update method for the Hik-Connect App changed for Android users?
From the information we have and after asking Hikvision directly to comment on the changes, we understand that these changes are a result of the United States’ Entity List, which is ever-growing under the Trump Administration. Along with other major organisations, most notably Huawei, Hikvision have been added to this blacklist which prevents them from using Google Mobile Services (GMS) on Android phones and tablets. Hikvision itself explained in an email to the Android users of its app that “the relocation of the Android app comes as a result of the U.S. Entity List restrictions.” They also reassure us that we can trust the Hikvision App Store as a method for downloading and further updates “safely and quickly” and that everything on their own app store is “fully compliant with the design and development guidelines applied to Android/iOS operating systems.”
The following passage has been sourced from the Financial Times and outlines the Trump Administration’s motivations behind adding Hikvision to the list:
As the US administration ratcheted up pressure on China over the past year in the midst of a trade war … it also imposed export controls on dealings with other companies including surveillance technology group Hikvision, on the grounds that their products are used by Beijing to perpetrate human rights abuses.
The vice-president of the US, Mike Pence, justified this imposing of export controls during a speech in October last year. He stated that:
In recent years, China has taken a sharp U-turn toward control and oppression of its own people ... China has built an unparalleled surveillance state, and it’s growing more expansive and intrusive – often with the help of U.S. technology. What they call the “Great Firewall of China” likewise grows higher, drastically restricting the free flow of information to the Chinese people.
Our advice? Don’t panic and update to V4 of the app, if you wish, with peace of mind. We see no reason for concern as it’s just not credence to Hikvision exposing any back door vulnerabilities to their software, regardless of what might have been said by those in the U.S.
What happens next?
In truth, we don’t know. We hope that the Countries’ political differences will be resolved in the near future so that, for the sake of simplicity, Android updates can be carried out through Google’s Play Store again. We’ll post any updates regarding Hik-Connect V4 on both Android and to this thread as soon as we have them. If you update to this version via Hikvision’s new App Store, do share your experiences with the new update below in this thread.
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