CyberScoop reports that the U.S. Commerce Department has been urged by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., to bolster the already robust proposed U.S. tech rules that would prevent the utilization of the country's surveillance tools in repressive countries amid concerns of potential gaps that could be exploited by such nations.
Aside from expanding the number of countries subject to export controls from 23 to 45, the Commerce Department should also impose more stringent due diligence requirements for consultants and exporters, as well as ensure the implementation of the rules across all types of biometric surveillance tech, according to Wyden. "The proposed rules also apply if a U.S. company wants to do business with a private foreign company that provides goods or services to intelligence or security agencies in designated countries. However, the rules contain a loophole: no license would be required if the foreign company does not disclose its client list," Wyden wrote. Wyden's letter comes as industry groups noted that the rules would only increase compliance burdens for U.S. firms while not preventing adversarial nations' continued circumvention of export controls.
