Technology And Rights News

HRW: EU Fails to Curb Surveillance Exports to Rights Violators

HRW’s 54-page report 'Looking the Other Way: EU Failure to Prevent Surveillance Exports to Rights Violators' finds the EU and member states are failing to stop exporting intrusive surveillance tech to governments with documented rights abuses, despite the 2021 Dual-Use Regulation. It criticizes the EU’s implementation and the 2024 guidelines for reducing transparency, and urges tighter due diligence, stronger reporting, and meaningful civil-society participation. The report notes exports such as Bulgaria to Azerbaijan (2022) and Poland to Rwanda (2023) and calls for EU-wide action ahead of the 2026 evaluation.