Amazon and Flipkart have begun reviewing hundreds of internet-connected security cameras sold without required approval.
Why are online camera listings under review?
India requires internet-connected surveillance cameras to undergo security testing and obtain certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards before they can be sold. The requirement has been in force since April and covers testing of both hardware and software.
An analysis of roughly 770 internet security camera listings on Amazon and Flipkart found that more than 700 were for models that did not appear in the Bureau of Indian Standards’ public database of approved brands or cameras.
The two e-commerce platforms have since begun reviewing internet-enabled surveillance cameras offered by third-party sellers and brands. People familiar with the checks said products without the required government approval would be removed. At least a dozen listings have already been removed from the platforms since Tuesday, including at least two models from Hikvision’s EZVIZ brand that Amazon subsequently displayed as unavailable.
What are the security concerns?
Internet-connected cameras are widely used in homes, businesses and public spaces, making their security particularly important. Gulshan Rai, who served as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cybersecurity chief from 2015 to 2019, described sales of unapproved cameras as a “serious concern”.
Rai said a compromised camera could pose both a surveillance threat and provide an entry point for cyberattacks. The testing rules were first announced in 2024 amid concerns in New Delhi that sensitive camera footage could be transferred outside India. In April, Delhi Police said it had uncovered a Pakistan-linked spying network that used Chinese-made SIM-enabled CCTV cameras near military sites in northern India to send live footage to handlers in Pakistan.
FCRF Launches CP-FRM to Build India’s Next Generation of Fraud Risk Professionals
Which camera brands appeared in the listings?
Among the products identified online were camera models associated with Hikvision and Dahua. At least eight unlicensed WiFi camera models from the two manufacturers were listed on Amazon.
Hikvision and Zhejiang Dahua Technology together accounted for 30 per cent of India’s security camera market last year, according to Counterpoint Research. Dahua’s Imou brand also had a dedicated Amazon India page containing promotional material and separate categories for indoor and outdoor WiFi cameras. One person familiar with Amazon’s review said the platform had decided to remove the brand page. A Dahua Wireless Dome Camera remained listed for ₹779 after a 70 per cent discount.
What was found in Maizic camera listings?
Maizic Smarthomes, which describes itself as an Indian AI security brand, also had numerous products listed online. None of its 138 “wifi camera” offerings on Amazon, including cameras incorporated into light bulbs, appeared to have Indian approval in the standards bureau’s website records.
One Maizic India listing for a “Fish Eye Bulb WiFi 360 Degree Camera” advertised the ability to connect to WiFi and stream live footage remotely through a smartphone or tablet.
Maizic co-founder Santosh Kumar Singh said the company had removed WiFi functionality allowing live feeds from its cameras and that direct connectivity with a nearby mobile device would be enabled only after government approval was secured.
Singh later said government regulations did not apply to many of the company’s cameras and that products requiring clearances had already been removed from e-commerce websites while approvals were pending. He said the brand was committed to complying with government laws and regulations.
What happens to unapproved products now?
The review puts attention on whether online marketplaces are adequately screening internet-connected surveillance equipment before it reaches consumers. A confidential email from July showed Amazon had told one seller that its camera listing was being removed because it lacked the necessary approval marks following a complaint by Sujatha Thammadi, the Bureau of Indian Standards’ head of registration.
Despite such action, hundreds of listings remained online as of Thursday. The latest checks indicate that marketplaces are now examining individual products more closely, with unapproved listings expected to be taken down.
The issue extends beyond product certification because internet-connected cameras can transmit footage from private and sensitive locations. With mandatory security testing now governing their sale in India, the continuing availability of uncertified devices raises questions about marketplace compliance as well as the cybersecurity risks posed by untested surveillance equipment.
Follow for daily updates on cybercrime, corporate fraud, DFIR, hacking, investigations, and digital forensics
