U.S. legislators want European companies punished for aiding Iran's regime
Republican Lindsey Graham (South Carolina) and Democratic Charles Schumer (New York) are backing legislation which calls for the U.S. government “to identify foreign companies that export sensitive technology to Iran. Those companies would not be allowed to apply for procurement contracts with the U.S. government, or renew expiring ones, unless they first terminated those exports to Iran”
Two U.S. senators are calling for a U.S. boycott of European firms they say are helping the Iranian government snoop on its citizens. Among the companies is Nokia Siemens Networks, which has already confessed to selling technology to Iran conforming to 3GPP and ETSI standards which require mobile networks to have a lawful intercept capability. Mobile networks in the United States, and everywhere else, are required to provide a way for police and others to listen to phone calls. The situation is not different in Iran.
Republican Lindsey Graham (South Carolina) and Democratic Charles Schumer (New York) are backing legislation which calls for the U.S. government “to identify foreign companies that export sensitive technology to Iran. Those companies would not be allowed to apply for procurement contracts with the U.S. government, or renew expiring ones, unless they first terminated those exports to Iran.”
John Oates writes that he is not sure why US firms are not also being identified. Schumer said: “The Internet has proven to be one of the strongest weapons in the hands of the Iranian people seeking freedom and trying to chart a new destiny for their country. Companies that provide technology to the Iranian regime to control the Internet must be forced to pay a heavy price.”
Nokia Siemens Networks has repeatedly said its equipment conforms to international standards which include the ability to listen to mobile and landline calls. The company said it did not provide any kind of deep packet inspection or web censorship capability. Despite this the Senators refer to technology which can: “Jam Cell Phone Signals, Block Email and Twitter, Monitor Internet and Mobile Video.”
Note that the Senators, in their letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, refer to two companies “Nokia and Siemens” — while it was Nokia Siemens Networks, a separate firm, which provided mobile kit to Iran. The two senators’ press release refers to 2,000 U.S. government contracts held by Siemens.
The two have also written to Hilary Clinton urging her to press the European Union to restrict sales of snooping technology to Iran. In the United Kingdom, Ian Lucas, minister of state at the Department for Business, Skills and Innovation said he was unable to say whether or not the United Kingdom exported equipment which could be used to spy on Iranian citizens.
