Corporate Accountability Now

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USA: Cisco petitions Supreme Court to review ruling on surveillance case

Date:

4 Feb 2025

Content Type:

Article

Cisco Systems has filed a petition asking the US Supreme Court to review a ruling allowing aiding and abetting claims under the Alien Tort Statute and Torture Victim Protection Act. The case centres on allegations that Cisco helped build surveillance systems used to target Falun Gong practitioners in China.
USA: Court of Appeals confirms Cisco Systems can face liability for providing surveillance technology used to facilitate human rights abuses

Date:

18 Sep 2024

Content Type:

Article

"Last week, the US Court of Appeals affirmed its powerful 2023 decision that aiding and abetting liability in US courts can apply to technology companies that provide sophisticated surveillance systems that are used to facilitate human rights abuses."
USA: Appeals court decision in Cisco Systems Inc. case establishes narrow precedent for bringing human rights claims against U.S. corporations

Date:

19 Jul 2023

Content Type:

Article

The Court rejected Cisco's argument that domestic corporations cannot be sued under the Alien Tort Statute, a law allowing non-U.S. citizens to bring tort claims that violate international law in U.S. courts. To bring similar cases in the future, plaintiffs must demonstrate that a domestic company engaged in substantial conduct in the U.S. with the knowledge it was enabling human rights violations abroad.
USA: Appeals Court rules that Lawsuit accusing Cisco of enabling chinese regime's persecution of Falun Gong can move forward

Date:

9 Jul 2023

Content Type:

Article

A U.S. Appeals Court has revived a lawsuit accusing Cisco of helping China build a surveillance system to track and persecute Falun Gong practitioners. The lawsuit alleges that Cisco provided customized software and training to Chinese officials on how to use the technology, which allowed the regime to identify, round up, and torture members of the religious group.
Plaintiffs in Cisco lawsuit ask Court to revive US case over alleged surveillance of Falun Gong members in China

Date:

24 May 2017

Content Type:

Article
EFF says Cisco shouldn't get off the hook for torture in China

Date:

13 Jan 2016

Content Type:

Article
EFF To Court: Cisco Must Be Held Accountable For Aiding China’s Human Rights Abuses

Date:

12 Jan 2016

Content Type:

Article
Doe, et al. v. Cisco Systems: Brief of amici curiae Electronic Frontier Foundation, Article 19 and Privacy International in support of Plaintiffs-Appellants & reversal

Date:

11 Jan 2016

Content Type:

Article
Blog series on lawsuit in USA against Cisco over alleged complicity in provision of surveillance system targeting Chinese dissidents

Date:

26 Mar 2015

Content Type:

Article
Access to justice for victims of human rights abuses needs to be strengthened

Date:

4 Dec 2014

Content Type:

Article
Standard behind US Court dismissal of Alien Tort case against Occidental & AirScan “sufficiently vague for corporations to hide behind”, says journalist

Date:

25 Nov 2014

Content Type:

Article
Cisco Won't Face Claim it Abetted Torture in China

Date:

11 Sep 2014

Content Type:

Article
Cisco is mute on accusations of aiding Chinese state snooping

Date:

11 Apr 2014

Content Type:

Article
Cisco cleared in rights case, as tech sector watches [USA/China]

Date:

1 Mar 2014

Content Type:

Article
[PDF] Out of Bounds - Accountability for Corporate Human Rights Abuse After Kiobel

Date:

30 Sep 2013

Content Type:

Article
The Supreme Court: Corporate America's Employees of the Month

Date:

27 Jun 2013

Content Type:

Article
Companies Shielded as U.S. Court Cuts Human-Rights Suits

Date:

17 Apr 2013

Content Type:

Article
Peer Pressure

Date:

1 May 2012

Content Type:

Article
A U.S. Tie to Surveillance Push in Chinese Cities

Date:

15 Mar 2012

Content Type:

Article
Cisco's role in Falun Gong crackdown in dispute [China]

Date:

11 Mar 2012

Content Type:

Article
Corporate Accountability Now

Date:

21 Feb 2012

Content Type:

Article
Debating human rights in the IT industry [USA]

Date:

31 Oct 2011

Content Type:

Article
Should tech companies do business in China?

Date:

22 Sep 2011

Content Type:

Article
New evidence links Cisco to jailing and torture of Chinese

Date:

6 Sep 2011

Content Type:

Article
Du Daobin v. Cisco - Du Daobin Interrogated by Ministry of Public Security [China]

Date:

3 Aug 2011

Content Type:

Article
Tort and technology: Lawyers and legislators put pressure on globe-trotting tech firms [China]

Date:

21 Jul 2011

Content Type:

Article
Cisco Sued, Accused of Helping Design China’s Great Firewall

Date:

23 May 2011

Content Type:

Article

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Part of the following timelines

Rio Tinto lawsuit (re Papua New Guinea)

Access to justice for victims of human rights abuses needs to be strengthened

Documents reveal extent of Shell and Rio Tinto lobbying in human rights case [UK]

Shell’s response to UK Foreign Office documents revealing Shell & Rio Tinto sought support from UK Govt. in US lawsuits alleging human rights abuses

[PDF] Out of Bounds - Accountability for Corporate Human Rights Abuse After Kiobel

Post-Kiobel roundup: Apartheid case is not dismissed, but may soon be; some positive decisions from other courts [USA]

Corporate liability for violating international law under The Alien Tort Statute: The corporation through the lens of globalization and privatization

Rio Tinto wins end to human rights abuse lawsuit in U.S

The Supreme Court: Corporate America's Employees of the Month

Court reinforces pro-multinational decision [USA]

Companies Shielded as U.S. Court Cuts Human-Rights Suits

[PDF] Legal avenues for EJOs to claim environmental liability - EJOLT Report No. 4

Alien Tort Argument Reset [USA]

The Global Lawyer: Human Rights Plaintiffs Can't Even Pick Their Poison

Another Supreme Court boost for corporate unaccountability?

Supreme Court won't rule this term on corporate liability for human rights abuses

Corporate Accountability Now

Will Alien Tort Case be the Next Citizens United? [USA]

[PDF] "La responsabilidad de las empresas multinacionales por violaciones de los derechos humanos: práctica reciente"

[PDF] Final report: Intl. civil litigation for human rights violations

[PDF] Corporate Liability of Energy/Natural Resources Companies at National Law for Breach of International Human Rights Norms

Mining and American Indians Still Don’t Mix

U.S. court revives human rights case vs Rio Tinto

[PDF] The Alien Tort Claims Act and Trans-Boundary Corporate Environmental Abuse: A Case Study of the Gulf Oil Spill

Supreme Court May Consider Whether Companies Can Be Sued Over Human Rights [USA]

9th Circuit Orders Mediation in Rio Tinto Alien Tort Case

Shortening the Long Arm of the Law [USA]

US court hears suit over Rio Tinto PNG mine

On the Frontier of Alien Tort Claims

Overdue diligence

[PDF] Think globally, sue locally: Out-of-court tactics employed by plaintiffs, their lawyers, and their advocates in transnational tort cases

[PDF] Universal Periodic Review – United States of America Submission to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Arcane Law Brings Conflicts From Overseas to U.S. Courts

Five Tips to Avoid the Human Rights Litigation Trap

Papua New Guinea Landowners Face New Hearing in Rio Tinto Case

[PDF] Sarei v. Rio Tinto - Opinion

[PDF] Business & Human Rights Resource Centre launches world’s first online portal profiling human rights lawsuits against companies

Corporate Liability Under the Alien Tort Claims Act [USA]

Rio Tinto Wins Review of Ruling on Papua New Guinea Claims [USA]

Why all companies should address human rights (and how the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre can help)

Panguna Mine Crisis Still Haunts Rio Tinto [Papua New Guinea/USA]

Oceanic Islanders Win Appeal in Massive Claim against Mining Giant Rio Tinto for Alleged Ecocide and Human Rights Crimes [US court decision re events in Papua New Guinea]

Islanders Win Appeal in Claim Against Rio Tinto [US court decision re events in Papua New Guinea]

[DOC] Regulations for Corporations: A historical account of TNC regulation

[PDF] The Changing Landscape of Liability - A Director’s Guide to Trends in Corporate Environmental, Social and Economic Liability

[PDF] executive summary: "Business and International Crimes: Assessing the Liability of Business Entities for Grave Violations of International Law"

[PDF] full report: "In Our Court: ATCA, Sosa and the Triumph of Human Rights"

Environmental Rights Enforcement in U.S. Courts

Recent ATCA Cases Against Corporate Defendants

[PDF] Community redress and multinational enterprises

[PDF] Legal Issues in Corporate Citizenship

[PDF] Judging Corporate Accountability in theGlobal Economy

Corporate Human Rights [human rights lawsuits agains multinationals in U.S. courts]

Litigation Update: A Summary of Recent Developments in U.S. Cases Brought Under the Alien Tort Claims Act and Torture Protection Act

"Oceanic Islanders Use Federal Law to Sue British Mining Giant Rio Tinto for Alleged Ecocide and Human Rights Crimes"

Apartheid reparations lawsuits (re So. Africa)

US Supreme Court rejects appeal by So. Africans against IBM & Ford for alleged support of apartheid

Alien Tort Case Development: Second Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Claims Against Ford and IBM

Unrealistic Pleading Standards: Another Injustice for Human Rights Victims

2nd Circuit Tosses Apartheid Cases Against IBM, Ford

[PDF] Balintulo, et al. v. Ford, IBM - Opinion

Ford, IBM defeat appeal over apartheid abuses -U.S. court

Access to justice for victims of human rights abuses needs to be strengthened

Lawyer analyses US court decision in So. African apartheid case against IBM & Ford

Earth Rights Intl. - Analysis of decision in So. African apartheid Alien Tort case

Khulumani Support Group statement on dismissal of So. African apartheid litigation

US court dismisses lawsuit against Ford & IBM alleging complicity in So. African apartheid abuses

In re South African Apartheid Litigation - Opinion and Order

US federal appeals courts issue conflicting decisions regarding extraterritoriality in Alien Tort lawsuits against CACI & Chiquita

Kiobel Anniversary Surprise: Judge Scheindlin Rules Corporations May Be Held Liable Under ATS, Despite Second Circuit Precedents [USA]

Ford, IBM to face renewed U.S. lawsuit over apartheid-era abuses

Corporate Accountability for Human Rights Violations in Countries in Transition

The Turn to Corporate Criminal Liability for International Crimes: Transcending the Alien Tort Statute

U.S. judge dismisses apartheid claims against 2 German companies

[PDF] Corporate Legal Accountability Quarterly Bulletin – Issue 11, December 2013

Should Multinational Corporations be Held Liable for Having Done Business with the Apartheid Regime? (So. Africa)

[PDF] Out of Bounds - Accountability for Corporate Human Rights Abuse After Kiobel

Plaintiffs File Petition in Second Circuit Court of Appeals to Review Panel’s Decision in Apartheid Case