Export Controls of Surveillance Technologies

There are growing concerns about human rights violations caused by surveillance technologies. Export controls are discussed as an effective means to prevent oppressive regimes from using such technologies. Hence, export controls of surveillance technologies are becoming an increasingly important dimension of international relations.

Publications

Conference paper: Export Controls of Surveillance Technologies

This report was prepared by Ben Wagner and Joanna Bronowicka. It was prepared as a background paper for the discussions at the Global Conference on Cyberspace in The Hague on April 16-17, 2015. The paper recommends four avenues for future international policy initiatives: transparency and impact assessment, smart regulation, the use of EU policy instruments as well as the creation of a global playing field. You can download the full report here.

Reviewed Article: “Between International Relations and Arms Controls:
Understanding Export Controls for Surveillance Technologies”

Following the debates at the Global Conference on Cyberspace in The Hague, Ben Wagner and Joanna Bronowicka published a peer-reviewed article in the Political Science Review. The article highlights the new developments and problems of trade in surveillance technologies. It discusses surveillance technologies in the international framework of export controls, and outlines the related policy challenges. Based on interviews with experts in the field, the article sketches key ideas and solutions. You can download the full article here.

Events

Export Controls Conference, Berlin, 5th February, 2015

CIHR organized a conference in Berlin, bringing together experts from civil society, industry, governments and EU institutions. Participants discussed how the EU and its member states can use export control measures as a way to better protect human rights in third countries. Experts agreed that new regulations have to be based on reliable data about the impact of specific technologies on human rights. You can read a full summary of the event here.

Global Conference on Cyberspace, The Hague, 2015

The CIHR background report on export controls fed into a panel discussions at the Global Conference on Cyberspace, which took place in The Hague on 17 April 2015. You can watch the video of the panel here.

Funding

The research was supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Export Controls of Surveillance Technologies