No Convenient Forum? Spyware Companies' Efforts to Kick Victims' Cases out of U.S. Court.

The article discusses the use of commercial spyware by repressive regimes to surveil and intimidate dissidents, activists, journalists, and political opposition figures, violating human rights in the process. Some victims have sued spyware companies in U.S. courts to hold them accountable for their abuses. However, spyware companies have raised procedural defenses, including the argument that the United States is an inconvenient forum for claims based on the transnational deployment of spyware. The Biden administration has taken action against spyware companies, adding them to the Department of Commerce's "Entity List" and issuing an executive order restricting the U.S. government's use of foreign commercial spyware. Several lawsuits attempting to hold spyware companies accountable are currently pending in U.S. courts. The article argues against dismissing these cases on the grounds of forum non conveniens (FNC) and emphasizes the importance of allowing victims of human rights violations to assert their rights in U.S. courts. [Extracted from the article]