John Honovich
John Honovich is IPVM’s founder and reports on surveillance technology, including AI camera systems. Before 2008, he held product-development and management roles at 3VR and Sensormatic, then worked as an independent researcher and consultant on networked video. At Hikvision’s 2018 AI Cloud World Summit, he identified a camera system whose AI categorized visitors under a “minority” label and reported its ethnicity-detection feature. He challenged fever-camera readings in 2020 and coauthored a 2021 study that found infrared thermographs normalized readings toward the human mean. TIME selected him for its TIME100 AI list in 2023, and his public IPVM report in June 2025 covered Canada’s order for Hikvision to cease operations and remove its products.
- Now at
- IPVM
Timeline
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2008
Independent video researcher
In 2008, he works as an independent researcher and consultant on networked video surveillance and writes IPVideoMarket.info. Earlier roles include product-development and management work at 3VR and Sensormatic.
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2018
Hikvision’s AI minority label
At Hikvision’s 2018 AI Cloud World Summit, he finds a camera system whose AI sorts visitors into categories that include “minority.” He publishes an IPVM report on its ethnicity-detection feature, working as founder of the trade publication.
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June 2020
A fever-camera warning
In June 2020, he says the RedSpeed fever camera tends to miss temperatures of 100, 100.5, or 101 degrees. IPVM researchers also find that the system miscalculates temperatures for people wearing hats and face coverings.
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2021
A fever-screening study
In 2021, he coauthors a Journal of Biomedical Optics study of seven infrared thermographs. The results show readings are systematically reported as normal across all seven devices; he oversees IPVM’s research and reporting as editor-in-chief.
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March 2021–July 2021
Hikvision’s SIA departure
IPVM files an ethics-code complaint against Hikvision in March 2021. Hikvision resigns from the Security Industry Association in July 2021, and Honovich says it leaves to avoid expulsion.
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2023
A TIME100 AI selection
In September 2023, TIME selects him for its list of the 100 Most Influential People in AI.
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Since 2025
IPVM report author
He authors a public IPVM report in June 2025 about Canada’s order for Hikvision to cease operations and remove its products.
Sources and credits
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- Is public CCTV effective?
- How a Research Blog Took on Big Surveillance in China—and Won
- Miami-Dade Spent $400,000 on Unreliable Fever-Detecting Cameras
- Globally deployed COVID-19 fever screening devices using infrared thermographs consistently normalize high readings to afebrile range
- Hikvision resigns its SIA membership
- Time Selects IPVM To TIME100 Most Influential People in AI (Public Report)
- Canada Orders Hikvision Shutdown Plus Federal Product Removal And Ban (Public Report)