Export Controls for Conventional Arms & Dual-Use Goods & Tech

ꕤ info SOURCE as marked CoCom *not* treaty & therefore *not* legally binding CoCom Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls -- est. by Western bloc powers -- w/in 5 years of end WWII -- to put an arms embargo on COMECON countries -- 1994 ceased to function -- control list of embargoed goods retained -- until successor WASSENAAR ARRANGEMENT established *Note: different from 'Wassenaar Agreement' (US) Arms Export Control Act (AECA) (US) International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) {still in effect} Violations -- Japan (Toshiba Machine Company) -- Norway (Kongsberg Group) -- supply computer guided propeller milling machines to Soviets -- enabled greater Soviet submarine detection evasion US Congress sanctioned Toshiba / barred imports to US CoCom CoCom member states: USA Britain Australia Canada Japan Germany France Belgium Luxembourg Netherlands Denmark Norway Italy Spain Portugal Greece Turkey [where's NZ?  ... it's only 4-Eyes] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CoCom COMECON States COMECON (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance) 1949 to 1991 -- Soviet-led org, comprising Eastern Bloc -- & other communist -- term applied to multilateral (& extended to bilateral) activities -- purpose / intent: -- prevention of Soviet sphere of influence countries moving towards -- influence of Americans or South-East Asia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comecon COMECON States [data from:  Wikipedia] Successor to CoCom *not* treaty & therefore *not* legally binding Wassenaar Arrangement (re Export Controls for Conventional Arms & Dual-Use Goods & Tech) -- multilateral export control regime (MECR) -- 41 participating states -- incl. many former COMECON (Warsaw Pact) countries Aim prevent: -- destabilizing accumulations -- development or enhancement of military capabilities -- successor to COCOM -- 1996 - est. Wassenaar, Netherlands -- less strict than COCOM -- focus on transparency -- no individual veto power over org. decisions -- Vienna, Austria, admin. of agreement location -- like COCOM, it is *not* treaty & therefore *not* legally binding -- exchange of info re conventional arms deliveries, 6-mthly battle tanks armoured combat vehicles (ACVs) large-calibre artillery military aircraft military helicopters warships missiles missile systems small arms light weapons Included on controls list: electronics computers telecommunications information security {among others} 2013 Amendments -- amended to incl: internet-based surveillance systems "intrusion software" (designed to defeat protective measures/ to extract data/info) IP network surveillance systems Aim of amendment re tech: -- prevent sales to abusers of human rights Problem: -- restrictions weaken internet security of participant nations -- controls too broad -- tech security personnel limited in ability to:     identify     correct -- security vulnerabilities -- Google & Facebook critical -- b/c probs. penetration testing, sharing threats info & bug bounty programs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wassenaar_Arrangement ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- COMMENT Don't know why anyone's complaining re the 'limits' of the Wassenaar Arrangement if it's not binding and can be ignored ... but I guess that's at govt/national level rather than internet provider and other tech level? Don't get the bit about there being no individual veto re decisions of Wassenaar Arrangement.  So it's 'binding' ... but NOT binding.  That's stupid. All of the above is available at the source ... so it's a bit of a pointless info arranging exercise.  Especially, when I probably won't remember or need to know this -- ever.  lol --- ** I'm guessing the US would probably enforce the 'unenforceable' through trade sanctions such as that imposed on Toyota? ꕤ