February 28, 2024 at 09:51AM
Canadian network intelligence firm Sandvine has been added to the US government’s Entity List, preventing organizations from trading with it. The company’s technology has been used for mass surveillance and censorship by the Egyptian government. This decision by the US Department of Commerce restricts trade with Sandvine in various countries, imposing licensing requirements for transactions involving US-origin items.
Meeting Summary:
– The US government has added Canadian network intelligence firm, Sandvine, to its Entity List, effectively restricting trading with the company.
– Sandvine is based in Waterloo, Ontario, and provides network policy control products for congestion management, security, and censorship support.
– The US Department of Commerce’s decision to add Sandvine to its trade restrictions list is due to its provision of technology to the Egyptian government for mass surveillance and censorship.
– Sandvine’s deep packet inspection technology is used in mass web-monitoring and censorship to block news, target political actors, and surveil human rights activists.
– Six different entries for Sandvine in the Entity List have been made for the company’s operations in Canada, India, Japan, Malaysia, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates.
– The addition of Sandvine to the Entity List prohibits organizations from trading with the company or providing it with goods or technology.
– Additionally, China’s Chengdu Beizhan Electronics was also added to the Entity List for involving U.S.-origin items on behalf of the University of Electronic Science and Technology, which is on the restrictions list.
– BIS stated that any transactions with these entities, involving items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), will require a license from the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), but applications for those licenses are likely to be denied.