The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal from Cisco Systems regarding a lawsuit filed in 2011. The suit alleges Cisco knowingly developed and provided technology that enabled the Chinese government to surveil and persecute members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement.
Cisco seeks to limit the reach of the Alien Tort Statute (ATS). The ATS is a law used to bring international human rights cases in U.S. courts. Cisco calls the lawsuit unfounded, stating it sold technology to China that remains legal under U.S. trade policy.
The case brings to the forefront the issue of whether an American corporation can be held liable for aiding and abetting human rights violations committed abroad. Available reports noted no significant market reaction.