Publication: Export Controls of Surveillance Technologies

This report was prepared by the CIHR with the contributions from Ben Wagner and Joanna Bronowicka. The report will feed into the discussion at the Global Conference on Cyberspace in The Hague on April 16-17, 2015.

In recent years, there has been a growing concern about oppressive regimes using surveillance technologies in ways that led to human rights violations. A growing body of evidence shows that oppressive regimes purchase surveillance technologies to monitor and censor citizens online, thereby violating the right to privacy and freedom of expression.

CIHR expert workshop in Berlin showed that governments, public institutions, civil society and majority of private sector actors share a common concern: preventing surveillance technologies from getting into the hands of oppressive governments. 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. More CIHR publications.