Megvii controversies

U.S. investment sanctions

The U.S. Treasury prohibited U.S. investment in Megvii, alleging that the company supported surveillance and human-rights abuses in Xinjiang. The measure further limited the company’s access to U.S. capital.

Report says Huawei tested software to identify Uyghurs

Issue disclosure

In December 2020, reports citing IPVM stated that Huawei had tested software developed by Megvii that could identify Uyghurs in crowds and alert police. Huawei responded that the software was only tested and had not been used in real-world applications. The report centered on the testing of the facial recognition software and Huawei's statement that it was not deployed in practical use.

The article reports that IPVM said Huawei had tested software developed by Megvii that could identify Uyghurs in crowds and alert police. Huawei said the software was only tested and had not been used in real-world applications.

Xinjiang surveillance controversy

Human Rights Watch reported that Face++ code appeared in the Integrated Joint Operations Platform, a police application associated with monitoring Uyghurs in Xinjiang. The organization later corrected its account, stating that Megvii did not appear to have collaborated on the platform and that the code was inoperable. The episode nevertheless contributed to international scrutiny of Megvii’s technology and its potential use in state surveillance.

U.S. Entity List designation

The U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security placed Megvii on the Entity List, alleging that the company’s technology was connected to human-rights abuses in Xinjiang. The designation imposed restrictions on the export or transfer of specified U.S.-origin items to Megvii.