Supreme Court Weighs Case Alleging Cisco Aided China in Human Rights Violations

The U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments in Cisco Systems Inc. v. Doe I to determine whether U.S. corporations can be held liable for “aiding and abetting” human rights abuses committed by foreign governments.This landmark lawsuit was brought by practitioners of Falun Gong, a spiritual group persecuted in China.The plaintiffs allege that Cisco Systems and its executives designed and customized the “Golden Shield”—a sophisticated surveillance and internal security system—specifically to help the Chinese Communist Party identify, track, and arrest them for their faith. Many plaintiffs reported being detained, tortured, or having family members killed as a result of this surveillance.