Home Complaints database Justice Beyond Borders vs. Genetec
Complaint

Justice Beyond Borders vs. Genetec

Use of Genetec’s security management platform to cause human rights abuses in Iran

Date filed
18 December 2024
Keywords
Countries of harm
Current status
No resolution
Sector
NCP

Allegations

On 18 December 2024, Justice Beyond Borders (JBB) / Justice for Iran (now merged into JBB) filed a complaint against technology company Genetec Inc. to the Canadian NCP. The complainants allege that Genetec’s security management platform, which integrates video surveillance, access control, and automatic licence plate recognition, was enabling human rights abuses by the Iranian government through sales via Iran-based partners and distributers to end-users in Iran.

JBB sought an exchange of information during the NCP’s initial assessment rather than a facilitated mediation with Genetec.

Relevant OECD Guidelines

Outcome

On 5 May 2025, in its final statement (doubling as the NCP’s initial assessment), the Canadian NCP partially accepted the issue in the complaint concerning Genetic’s human rights policy. The NCP concluded that the issue raised in relation to the alleged ongoing sale of Genetec products in Iran did not warrant further consideration because the company categorically asserted that it did not have business relationships with partners in Iran and any entities that asserted as such were misrepresenting themselves as current providers of Genetec products. According to Genetic, none of these entities were authorised partners or distributors of Genetic products and the company stopped selling/servicing the Iranian market in 2018.

Given neither party sought dialogue or mediation, the NCP did not offer its good offices but facilitated an exchange of documents to share relevant information and perspectives.

The NCP recommended for Genetic to elaborate its human rights policy commitment in a single, publicly available document. The NCP also encouraged Genetec to publish more information about how its human rights policy commitment is implemented through human rights due diligence.

The NCP will follow-up on its recommendations six months after the publication of its final statement (November 2025).

More details

Defendant
Company in violation
Complainants
Affected people
Date rejected / concluded
5 May 2025

Documents