The European Union will curb the export of telephone- and data-interception technology to nations that use the tools to violate human rights, following reports that Western surveillance gear was used to track dissidents in Middle East crackdowns.
The European Parliament voted today in Strasbourg, France, to bar overseas sales of systems that monitor phone calls and text messages, or provide targeted Internet surveillance, if they are used to violate democratic principles, human rights or freedom of speech.
