U.S. and International Law

All travelers are expected to conduct research into and obey local laws of their destination county(ies).  When traveling abroad, individuals are subject the laws of the country in which they are traveling. Individuals found to be in violation of the host country’s laws, even unknowingly, can face deportation, fines or arrest and imprisonment. See Arrests Abroad for more information.

That said, there are certain U.S. laws which do apply to activities abroad.  These include:

  • Regulations which control technology which can be brought overseas or shared with others. See IT and Data Security or contact University Information Technology Service for more information.

  • Some countries and individuals have limitations placed upon them by the Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) restricting U.S. organizations from conducting business with those under the restrictions.

  • The Clery Act can extend to certain overseas locations. If you are a faculty leading an education abroad program, you are a Campus Security Authority and are required to report crimes of which you become aware while leading your education abroad program. The Office of International Safety & Security works with the Kennesaw State University Department of Public Safety and University Police to fulfill the university’s Clery reporting duties through the collection and inclusion of these statistics in the university’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.
  • In many countries, corruption is a significant problem which travelers may face or be expected to engage in as a part of doing business. The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act applies to unlawful gifts or payments to foreign governments or officials, which can include employees of universities.
  • Similarly, foreign entities may attempt to bribe or otherwise engage travelers whom they see as having sensitive information of great value to the foreign entity or government. Elicitation is the strategic use of conversation to extract information of value without the target knowing they are being interrogated or disclosing information they should not. The FBI provides guidance related to elicitation practices and strategies. Should you be concerned that you are being approached or pressured to divulge sensitive information, please report this to your program leader, the Office of International Safety & Security or the U.S. embassy or consulate.
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