U.S. Supreme Court to Review Corporate Liability Claims Against Cisco in Falun Gong Suit

On January 9, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Cisco Systems’ appeal in a long-running case brought by Falun Gong practitioners who allege the company helped enable China’s crackdown on their movement. The justices will review a 2023 ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that revived portions of the 2011 lawsuit under the Alien Tort Statute and the Torture Victim Protection Act, allowing claims to proceed against a U.S. corporation. The plaintiffs, supported by the Human Rights Law Foundation, contend that Cisco tailored elements of China’s “Golden Shield” surveillance system with knowledge that it would be used to identify, detain, and abuse Falun Gong adherents following the group’s 1999 ban. They allege aiding-and-abetting liability for torture, arbitrary detention, and other violations. Cisco denies wrongdoing, characterizing the claims as an improper attempt to impose liability for lawful technology exports, and argues that U.S. courts should not adjudicate alleged human rights abuses carried out by foreign governments abroad. The Court’s decision to take up the case signals renewed scrutiny of the reach of the ATS and TVPA, particularly whether and when domestic corporations may face liability in U.S. courts for alleged complicity in overseas misconduct. A ruling, expected later this term, could significantly shape the future of corporate accountability litigation tied to global operations and human rights claims.