The UK government could be facing legal action over its lack of action in blocking the sale of surveillance technologies to oppressive regimes

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Britain has 14 days to answer questions on tech exports to despotic regimes

The British government could soon be facing legal action over its lack of intervention in allowing the sale of surveillance technology to regimes that routinely breach human rights laws.

"In the wrong hands, today's surveillance technologies can have devastating effect. Human rights defenders, political dissidents and other vulnerable groups around the world are being targeted by increasingly sophisticated state surveillance, much of it supplied by British companies," Privacy International said in a statement.

"Secret police in three continents are currently using British technology to enter victims' computers and mobile devices, commandeer the cameras and microphones for surveillance, monitor all email, instant messenger and voice call activity — including Skype — and transform mobile phones into location tracking devices," Privacy International added.

The group points to examples in the media where British companies have been found to be offering technical assistance to dictatorial regimes.

"British companies have been peddling their wares to repressive regimes for years now. Publicly condemning the abuses of dictators like Al-Assad while turning a blind eye to the fact that British technologies may be facilitating these abuses is the worst kind of hypocrisy," Eric King, head of research at Privacy International, said in a statement. "The government must stop exports of British surveillance technologies to despotic regimes before more harm is done."

http://www.zdnet.com/britain-has-14-days-to-answer-questions-on-tech-exports-to-despotic-regimes-7000001382/