Five years of stopping EU-aided surveillance – interactive timeline

European companies play a key role in the trade in technologies that can be used to secretly infiltrate computers, extract information and spy on users. Systems designed, marketed and sold for such ise are a major threat both to human rights of people globally, and to our own security at home. Despite growing concern over the proliferation of these systems, the European Union still does not have an effective and coherent export control policy. Yet we must stop the export of highly sophisticated software and digital products which can be used for infiltration and surveillance. This timeline offers an overview of my efforts and initiatives. Civil society organizations and investigative journalists have also played a key role. Next Monday, experts will meet in Brussels to discuss their submission to the second public consultation the European Commission launched to receive input on how to update EU export laws. (The consultation is now closed). The timeline illustrates the events leading up to this moment and the solutions I have voiced in my proposals. Click here to open the timeline in a new tab.