EU Moves To End Surveillance Tech Sales To Repressive Regimes

superglaze writes "The European Union is asking companies that sell surveillance and law enforcement tech to repressive regimes to stop doing so. The EU is not taking concrete action yet, but has warned that sanctions may be applicable. All this comes little more than a week after Wikileaks published the Spy Files, a name-and-shame list of the companies offering tools for mass surveillance and interception to despotic regimes, but also to Western governments."

Largely symbolic

[SuricouRaven]

They'll find a way. If you can't buy direct, buy via proxy - and failing that, it only takes one oppressive state with the resources to design and manufacture their own and a willingness to sell to the others. China comes to mind as the ideal supplier, as they already have extensive experience with censorship and surveillance technology, government-controled telecoms and networking companies with engineering knowledge and the manufacturing capability to produce it for export.

Don't waste such pretty tech. on evil regimes...

[captainpanic]

Why sell it to the evil regimes of the world when you can much better use all those pretty toys at home to check what your own citizens are doing?

In all fairness, some of the countries in the EU (esp. the UK) have the highest density of surveillance cameras and other equipment in the world - both per capita and per surface area. It's sad that the EU don't see a need to stop doing that, but wish the situation in dictatorships to improve.

Re:Repressive?

[daem0n1x]

I think this is a great move on the part of the EU. Only democratic regimes should be allowed to illegally spy on its citizens, torture them in secret prisons and finally "disappear" them! I feel much safer now the vicious tyrants have their hands tied.