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Story

17 Aug 2021

USA: Civil society calls on SEC & other stakeholders to halt technology company Cellebrite going public until human rights compliance demonstrated

Civil society organisations including Access Now and the Committee to Protect Journalists have recorded human rights risks and abuses linked to technology made by Cellebrite, an Israeli digital intelligence firm. In April 2021 Cellebrite announced its intention to become a public company, by entering into an agreement with a special-purpose acquisition company (or SPAC) named TWC Tech Holdings II Corp., which will allow it to be listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange and expand its opportunities for growth.

Alarmed at this deal, in July 2021 a group of civil society organizations and individuals wrote a letter urging the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), NASDAQ, and other stakeholders to stop the process until Cellebrite demonstrates its commitment to safeguarding human rights. The call follows pressure on key stakeholders from U.S. Member of Congress, Tom Malinowski, due to “urgent concern over unresolved human rights risks linked to the sales history of Cellebrite.”

The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre subsequently raised the letter again with the SEC, Nasdaq, various investors and shareholders linked to the Cellebrite's bid to go public, and invited them to respond to its concerns and recommendations. After we contacted these actors, Cellebrite announced its Registration Statement on Form F-4 has been declared effective by the SEC, but we continued to seek comments on the human rights risks associated with the company’s technologies. None of the stakeholders responded to the request.

Company Responses

683 Capital Management, LLC

No Response

Citadel LLC

No Response

Crescent Park Management, L.P.

No Response

Crosslink Capital

No Response

Empyrean Capital Partners, LP

No Response

Phoenix Holdings Ltd

No Response

Glazer Capital, LLC

No Response

Light Street Capital Management, LLC

No Response

Makena Capital Management

No Response

Migdal SAL

No Response

Millennium Management LLC

No Response

Nasdaq

No Response

Park West Asset Management LLC

No Response

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

No Response

Weiss Asset Management LP

No Response

West Coast Equity Partners LLC

No Response

Axon Enterprise, Inc.

No Response

Timeline

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