Surveillance Tech Export Items Not Narrowly Defined by US as Some Sought

State Department final guidance expands on the initial definition of human rights due diligence and offers red flags and due diligence considerations for exporting surveillance technology. The department didn't significantly narrow its definition for surveillance items despite industry requests. It deleted a suggestion that companies incorporate a “kill switch” to remotely deactivate a device if a company is concerned it's being misused. Information Technology and Innovation Foundation comments last year warned a kill switch could be used for “censorship or other negative purposes.” Snooping tech can be misused if exported to “foreign government end-users or private end-users that have close relationships with governments that do not demonstrate respect for human rights,” State said Wednesday. The U.S. restricts shipments to China over the country’s mass surveillance and detention of ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang.