Supreme Court to Decide if Cisco Can Be Sued for Allegedly Aiding China’s Persecution of Falun Gong

Justices will determine if tech giants face liability for customizing tools used in foreign religious oppression.

The Supreme Court has granted review in Cisco Systems, Inc. v. Doe to determine if U.S. corporations can be sued for aiding and abetting foreign human rights abuses. The case involves Falun Gong practitioners who allege Cisco Systems customized its “Golden Shield” technology to help the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) track, detain, and torture believers. The plaintiffs assert claims under the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) and the Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA). Cisco argues that these statutes do not explicitly authorize aiding-and-abetting liability and that the Judiciary cannot create such causes of action without Congress. The Ninth Circuit previously allowed the case to proceed using a “knowledge” standard for liability. This ruling will define whether American companies can be held liable for providing technology that facilitates religious persecution abroad.