BIS Still Drafting New US Persons Controls Rule

The Bureau of Industry and Security is still developing a proposed rule to prevent sophisticated hacking tools and expertise from being exported to foreign governments that spy on their own citizens, a Commerce Department official said March 27.

The proposal will be “forthcoming, hopefully,” said the official, speaking on background under a policy for certain career personnel at the BIS annual update conference.

The rule, expected this year (see 2401250043), would implement a provision in the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act that gives BIS the authority to impose controls on the activities of U.S. persons in support of foreign military, security or intelligence agencies (see 2212210032 and 2301060034). President Joe Biden signed the NDAA into law in December 2022.