A U.K. government commitment to impose new export controls on...
A U.K. government commitment to impose new export controls on telecom equipment that could be used for Internet censorship and surveillance is welcome but the process is too drawn-out, Privacy International said Friday. In a December report (http://xrl.us/bobcyb), Parliament’s Foreign…
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Affairs Committee recommended that the U.K. “set out the scope for controlling the supply by UK nationals, or by companies based in the UK, of telecommunications equipment for which there is a reasonable expectation that it might be used to restrict freedom of expression on the internet.” In response, Foreign Secretary William Hague said the kind of equipment referred to may already be subject to export control, for example, if it contains encryption technology as specified in the EU dual-use regulation, under which controlled items aren’t allowed to leave EU customs territory without an export authorization. All applications for export license for such equipment are assessed case-by-case against EU and national arms export licensing criteria, he said. The EU has also adopted additional measures in the context of sanctions against Iran and Syria, he said. Where this type of equipment isn’t currently subject to control, the government is committed to working with international partners to agree on a specific list of goods, software and technology, he said. “In our view an internationally agreed and implemented list is the most effective and efficient means of controlling exports of concern. Given the evolving nature of these technologies and the very technical nature of these discussions,” the work is expected to continue this year, he said. “This is another step towards ensuring that British technologies are not used in the violation of human rights abroad,” said PI Head of Research Eric King. But by choosing long-drawn international accords over swift action at the national level, “the government is passing the buck,” he said. The “Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills has the power to stop these exports tomorrow -- so why isn’t he using it?"