Chinese technology company Huawei developed and tested facial recognition technologies capable of identifying Uyghur people in China.

In 2018, Huawei reportedly tested an AI camera system that could trigger a "Uighur alarm" when detecting faces of members of the Muslim minority group, according to a document on the company's European website and quickly deleted once revealed.

Marketing materials showed Huawei collaborated with multiple companies to create surveillance products advertised as capable of identifying ethnicity., some of which were provided to authorities in Xinjiang, where China has been conducting mass surveillance and detention of Uyghurs.

A patent filed by Huawei and the China Academy of Sciences in 2018 described facial recognition technology able to identify people based on ethnicity.

Documents suggest Huawei was involved in developing a "One Person, One File" system to store detailed personal information on individuals.

The revelations led to backlash against Huawei, including the termination of soccer sponsorship deals in Europe.

Huawei denied developing or selling systems specifically targeting ethnic groups, stating that the "Uighur alarm" was only a test that was not applied in the real world. 

Huawei also said it opposes using technology for ethnic discrimination and claimed to be independent of the Chinese government.