Cohn, Cindy, and Trevor Timm, and Jillian C. York. "Human Rights and Technology Sales: How Corporations Can Avoid Assisting Repressive Regimes," a report prepared by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, April 2012.
From the report: "The Electronic Frontier Foundation believes that it's time for technology companies, especially those selling surveillance and filtering equipment, to step up and ensure that they aren’t assisting foreign governments in committing human rights violations against their own people...EFF proposes companies navigate these difficult issues by adopting a robust Know Your Customer program, similar to the one outlined in the current U.S. export controls or a program similar to that required by the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act for other purposes.
Putting the focus on user and potential (or actual) use of the technology for human rights abuses by government—rather than on the capabilities of the technology itself—presents a more direct path to stopping human rights abuses, and one with fewer collateral risks." Read more
