Amidst the tussle between the United States of America and China, the US Department of Commerce has blocked 14 Chinese tech companies over links to human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, China. One of the websites includes the one funding the top US-based investment firm Sequoia Capital.
US Commerce Department Blocked Facial Recognition Company DeepGlint
As per the latest reports, the Commerce Department added a facial recognition company named DeepGlint (also known as Beijing Geling Shentong Information Technology Co, Ltd) in its entity list. The list restricts the US firms from doing any business with the listed companies.
DeepGlint co-founded the facial recognition lab in 2018 with the Chinese authorities in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang. The company also “gained international bragging rights through the US National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Face Recognition Vendor Test”.
ALSO READ: Chinese researchers removed key Covid-19 gene data from NIH database
Along with DeepGlint, the commerce department also restricted Xinjiang Lianhai Chuangzhi Company and Chengdu Xiwu Security System Alliance, two subsidiaries of Chinese military contractors and Leon Technology (surveillance company).
The sanctions also include nine other Chinese companies over national security concerns. Along with Sequoia Capital has funded another company called Yitu Technology that also found itself on the Entity List in 2020 for human rights abuses.
Sequoia, which did not immediately respond to the report, invested in DeepGlint back in 2014, before China’s genocide of Uyghurs had come to light.
US Blacklists 34 Companies
The above move comes after US blacklisted 34 companies previously. The US Commerce Department added five of the companies on the basis of their support towards China’s military modernization programmes.
Secretary of Commerce spoke to the media and said that they are committed towards curbing any firm that supports human rights repression in the country.
ALSO READ: Indian, Chinese nationals missing in Nepal flash flood
The Commerce Department also added eight entities for their involvement in the procurement of US origin-electronic components which may further assist the alleged Russian military programmes.
