New Sanctions To Target Syrian and Iranian Tech Capacity

vivIsel writes "This morning, President Obama is set to unveil a new executive order that will allow the U.S. to specifically target sanctions against individuals, companies or countries who use technology to enable human rights abuse. Especially as repressive regimes more effectively monitor their dissidents online (rather than simply blocking access), the sanctions focus on companies that help them do that."

Comments

TSA

[Anonymous Coward]

Now if only they'd use that on the TSA

Re:TSA

[durrr]

you mean the USA

Pot, kettle

[Anonymous Coward]

So when do the sanctions roll out against ourselves? I'd say "repressive regime" that "monitors dissidents" applies directly to the US, no?

Physician, heal thyself

[crazyjj]

Is this the same administration that has been falling all over itself giving retroactive immunity to telcos and other companies violating the civil rights of American citizens?

Re:Physician, heal thyself

[Anonymous Coward]

Just playing devil's advocate here:

What would the US government's response be if a small (or a significant) portion of the population resisted/rebelled against the government?

Well, the Whiskey Rebellion was put down with violence. If you say that that doesn't count because the US is democratic, well, especially early on, the US was not very democratic, and that was a feature, not a bug. In fact, it was sort of like Syria, or Iran today, with elections, but also with features designed to perpetuate an existing ruling establishment.

Second, take the Civil War, put down with hundreds of thousands of deaths, and then probable war crimes. Is Syria's war not a war between two factions in the same country, i.e., a civil war? Would Washington have taken kindly to London helping the Confederate States of America?

Finally, take the Occupy Wall Street movement, also put down violently. If Egypt had cleared out Tahrir Square claiming "health code violations", most international media would have laughed. But, in New York, it was done with a straight face.

The message just seems to it's OK if we do it, bad if they do it.

Hewlett-Packard - Israel/Palestine

[LanMan04]

Can we start with HP?

In Palestine, HP is deeply involved with the Israeli occupation. HP develops and profits from population-control systems that assist the Israeli government in the restriction of Palestinian movement, ethnic-based discrimination and segregation, and human rights violations.

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/703/t/0/blastContent.jsp?email_blast_KEY=1232244
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"Through its subsidiary EDS Israel, HP is the prime contractor of the Basel system, an automated biometric access control system installed and maintained by HP in checkpoints in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt).

Another control mechanism HP is involved in is Israel's ID card system, which reflects and reinforces its political and economic asymmetries and tiered citizenship structure. HP will manufacture biometric ID cards for the citizens and residents of Israel (Jewish and Palestinians) for the Israeli Ministry of Interior. In addition, HP also provides services and technologies to the Israeli army.

Furthermore, two of HP's technological services providers in Israel are Matrix and its subsidiary, Tact Testware, which are located in the illegal West Bank settlement of Modi'in Illit. HP is also taking part in the "Smart city" project in the illegal West Bank settlement of Ariel, providing a storage system for the settlement's municipality."