Stricter government control of surveillance technology exports could...

Stricter government control of surveillance technology exports could reduce government abuse of surveillance technology, said a New America Open Technology Institute (OTI) report released Monday (http://bit.ly/1iVouUV). The report looks at export control regimes in Germany, the United Kingdom and the U.S., finding all to be lacking with regard to surveillance technology. “It is clear that export controls need to be updated,” said Tim Maurer, an OTI research fellow and report co-author. Authoritarian governments have used the technology for various suppression techniques, the report said. Maurer cited the recent Wassenaar Arrangement (http://www.wassenaar.org/) on surveillance technology controls “as an opportunity” to make necessary updates to export controls. “The U.S. government has a unique chance when it implements the changes to set a positive example for other countries,” he said.