As detailed in "Item I. Business – Government Regulation" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, we are subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the United States and abroad that involve matters central to our business, including laws and regulations related to: privacy, data protection, security, retention and deletion; rights of publicity; content; intellectual property; regulation of certain of our CEDs as firearms; advertising; marketing; distribution; electronic contracts and other communications; competition; consumer protection; telecommunications; product liability; taxation; labor and employment; sustainability; economic or other trade prohibitions or sanctions; securities; and online payment services. The introduction of new products and expansion of our activities in certain jurisdictions, including through acquisitions, or other actions that we may take may subject us to additional laws, regulations or other government scrutiny. There are a number of legislative proposals in the United States, at both the federal and state level, that could impose new obligations in areas affecting our business. In addition, foreign privacy, data protection, content, competition, sustainability and other laws and regulations can impose different obligations or be more restrictive than those in the United States.
These U.S. federal and state and foreign laws and regulations, which in some cases can be enforced by private parties in addition to government entities, are constantly evolving and can be subject to significant change. As a result, the application, interpretation, and enforcement of these laws and regulations are often uncertain and may be interpreted and applied inconsistently from country to country and inconsistently with our current policies and practices. New laws and regulations (or new interpretations of existing laws and regulations) could materially and adversely affect our business.
The cost of compliance with these laws and regulations is high and is likely to increase in the future. Additionally, these laws and regulations, or any associated inquiries or investigations or other government actions, have in the past and may in the future delay or impede the development of new products, result in negative publicity, cause customers to delay purchases, require significant management time and attention, cause us to change our business practices, and subject us to remedies that may harm our business, including civil or criminal liability, such as fines, demands or orders that we modify or cease existing business practices.
Radio Spectrum and Unmanned Aerial and Ground-Based Robotic Devices
Certain of our products utilize radio spectrum to provide wireless voice, data and video communications services. The allocation of spectrum is regulated in the United States and other countries and limited spectrum space is allocated to wireless services and specifically to public safety users. We manufacture and market products in spectrum bands already made available by regulatory bodies. If current products do not comply with the regulations set forth by these regulatory bodies, we may be unable to sell our products or could incur penalties. Our results could be negatively affected by the rules and regulations adopted from time to time by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission ("FCC"), Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, the European Union Directorate-General for Environment or regulatory bodies in other countries. Regulatory changes in current spectrum bands may also require modifications to some of our products so they can continue to be manufactured and marketed.
Axon body-worn cameras, docks, Axon Fleet vehicle cameras and Axon Signal devices are subject to the FCC's rules and regulations in the United States, as well as rules and regulations as applicable outside of the United States. These regulations affect our CEDs with Axon Signal technology, including the TASER 7 CED, Signal Performance Power Magazine ("SPPM"), TASER 10 CED, and future CEDs implementing wireless technology. Compliance with government regulations could increase our operations and product costs and impact our future financial results.
Additionally, some of our products depend on drones or other unmanned aerial and ground-based systems that operate on the radio spectrum. We have also recently completed the acquisition of the remaining outstanding stock of Dedrone, a market leader in airspace security combining hardware sensors with software to detect, identify, track and mitigate drones. The FCC, the Federal Aviation Administration and other agencies at the federal, state and local levels (as well as in foreign jurisdictions) are beginning to address some of the numerous certification, regulatory and legal challenges associated with drones, but a comprehensive set of standards and enforcement procedures has yet to be developed. Changes to the regulation of drones or other unmanned aerial systems may impact our future financial results.
Axon and CEDs
For our CED products, we rely on the opinions of the ATF, including the determination that a device that does not expel projectiles by the action of an explosive is not classified as a firearm. Changes in laws, regulations and interpretations outside of our control may result in our products being classified or reclassified as firearms. If this were to occur, our private citizen demand could be substantially reduced because consumers would be required to comply with federal, state or local firearm transfer requirements prior to purchasing our products.
Federal regulation of sales in the United States: The majority of our currently offered CEDs are not classified as firearms regulated by the ATF. However, the ATF regulates the TASER 10 CED as a firearm under the GCA due to a technological advancement specific to the propulsion design of TASER 10 CED cartridges. The implications of such classification on use-of-force standards and regulations could impact our ability to sell TASER 10 CEDs to law enforcement and government entities. Because Axon must maintain a federal firearms license to manufacture and sell TASER 10 CEDs, we are subject to periodic compliance inspections by the ATF. License violations discovered by the ATF can result in fines, penalties, warning letters or license revocation, leading to disruptions in operations. Further, we are required to administer, track and remit firearm excise taxes as applicable.
Our CED products are also subject to testing, safety and other standards by organizations such as the American National Standards Institute, the International Electrotechnical Commission, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and Underwriters Laboratories. These regulations also affect CEDs with Axon Signal technology, including SPPM technology, and TASER 7 CED and TASER 10 CED battery packs.
Federal regulation of international sales: Our CEDs are considered a "crime control" product by the U.S. Department of Commerce ("DOC") for export directly from the United States which requires us to obtain an export license from the DOC for the export of our CED devices from the United States to any country other than Canada. Future products and services may require classifications from the DOC before they may be shipped internationally. Our inability to obtain DOC export licenses or classifications on a timely basis for sales of our products and services to our international customers could significantly and adversely affect our international sales. Although the TASER 10 CED is regulated by the ATF for domestic sales, the DOC has ruled that the product's unique propulsion design has no impact on its export classification and that the TASER 10 CED's export classification remains consistent with all other Axon CED models.
Federal regulation of foreign national employees: Our CED development and production is also considered controlled "technology" by the DOC and is categorized as a "deemed export" for any foreign national employees exposed to the technology within the United States. Consequently, we must obtain export licenses from the DOC for any deemed export within the United States made to a foreign national employee exposed to the controlled technology. Deemed export licenses are subject to DOC approvals and issued licenses require annual status reports for the stated employees. Inability to obtain proper licensing could curtail the Company's ability to execute R&D and production related to CED technology.
State and local regulation: Our CEDs are controlled, restricted or, less frequently, prohibited by some state and local governments. Other jurisdictions may ban or restrict the sale of our TASER-branded devices or restrict their use through changes to use-of-force laws or regulations, and our product sales may be significantly affected by additional state, county and city governmental regulation. The change in TASER 10 CED's propulsion design may impact how TASER 10 CED is regulated at the state and/or local level depending on each state's firearm laws.
International regulation of foreign imports and sales: Certain jurisdictions prohibit, restrict, or require a permit for the importation, sale, possession or use of our CEDs (and other select Axon products), including in some countries by law enforcement agencies, impacting our international sales opportunities.
U.S. and international regulation of component movements globally: We rely on a global supply chain of components across our product lines with most final assembly occurring in the United States. Export of these components is subject to a shifting regulatory landscape imposed by both foreign and U.S. authorities. Abrupt changes to these regulations can result in delays or interruptions to final product supplies. Additionally, ATF regulation of certain imports of TASER 10 CED components may impact Axon's supply chain agility.
International regulation of foreign-based operations: We maintain foreign operations in several countries globally for purposes of logistics, SG&A services and R&D support. Depending on these activities, applicable regulations may include business activity licensing and registration, import permits and recordkeeping, warehousing and storage security and permitting, and government reporting. Any failure to comply with these requirements could impact our ability to sell, support or develop our products and services both internationally and in the United States.
Axon offers products and services that some jurisdictions determine to be "prohibited" or "controlled" weapons under applicable local arms brokering regulations. Consequently, jurisdictions with such regulations, particularly those that are signatories to the Arms Trade Treaty, can require certain covered groups and Axon employees to receive weapons brokering licenses. Brokering license issuance and approval is not always guaranteed and is subject to the applicable policy of the approving jurisdiction. Denial or limitations on brokering activity can impact the ability of individual employees to proceed with weapons brokering activity in certain instances.
Federal Procurement Regulations
Our U.S. government business is subject to specific procurement regulations, such as the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and a variety of socioeconomic and other requirements imposed by executive order and statute. These requirements, although customary in U.S. government contracts, increase our performance and compliance costs. These costs might increase in the future, thereby reducing our margins, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, the U.S. government will likely continue to implement new requirements focused on initiatives to drive efficiencies, affordability and cost savings and other changes to its procurement practices to meet governmental interests. These initiatives and changes to procurement practices may change the way U.S. government contracts are solicited, negotiated and managed, which may affect whether and how we pursue opportunities to provide our products and services to the U.S. government, including the terms and conditions under which we do so, which may have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Failure to comply with applicable regulations and requirements could lead to contractual, civil, criminal, and administrative remedies such as termination, fines, penalties, repayments or compensatory or treble damages, or suspension or debarment from U.S. government contracting or subcontracting for a period of time or indefinitely. Among the causes for suspension or debarment are violations of various laws and regulations, including those related to procurement integrity, export control, U.S. government security, employment practices, protection of the environment, accuracy of records, proper recording of costs and foreign corruption. The termination of a U.S. government contract or relationship as a result of any of these violations would have an adverse impact on our operations and could have an adverse effect on our standing and eligibility for future U.S. government contracts.
Privacy Regulations
We are subject to various U.S. and foreign laws and regulations associated with the collection, processing, storage and transmission of personally identifiable information and other sensitive and confidential information. This data is wide ranging and relates to our employees, customers and other third parties, including the subjects of law enforcement. Our compliance obligations include those prescribed under laws and regulations that dictate whether, how and under what circumstances we can receive, control, process, hold and/or transfer certain data that is critical to our operations, including data shared between countries or regions in which we operate and data shared among our products and services. If one or more of the legal mechanisms for transferring data from other countries to the United States is invalidated, if we are unable to transfer data between and among countries and regions in which we operate, or if we are prohibited from sharing data among our products and services, it could affect the manner in which we provide our products and services or adversely affect our financial results. Countries may also pass legislation implementing data protection requirements or requiring local storage and processing of data or similar requirements that could increase the cost and complexity of delivering our products and services and expose us to significant penalties for non-compliance. For example, the European Parliament adopted the General Data Protection Regulation, effective May 2018, that extended the scope of European privacy laws to any entity that controls or processes personal data of E.U. residents in connection with the offer of goods or services or the monitoring of behavior and imposes compliance obligations concerning the handling of personal data. Further, Vietnam's Personal Data Protection Decree, which entered into force July 1, 2023, applies to organizations (wherever based) so long as they participate in personal data processing in Vietnam. We are also subject to U.S. laws and regulations, including the California Privacy Rights Act, which provides for enhanced consumer protections for California residents, a private right of action for data breaches and statutory ?nes and damages for data breaches or other California Consumer Privacy Act violations, as well as a requirement of "reasonable" cybersecurity, which could subject us to additional compliance costs as well as potential fines, individual claims, class actions and commercial liabilities.
Any inability, or perceived inability, by us to adequately address privacy concerns, or comply with applicable laws, regulations, policies, industry standards and guidance, contractual obligations or other legal obligations, even if unfounded, could result in significant regulatory and third-party liability, increased costs, disruption of our business and operations, and a loss of con?dence and other reputational damage. Furthermore, as new privacy laws and regulations are implemented, the time and resources needed for us to comply with such laws and regulations continues to increase and become a significant compliance workstream.
Environmental Regulations
We are subject to various U.S. federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations governing the environment, including restricting the presence of certain substances in our products and making us financially responsible for the collection, treatment, recycling and disposal of such products. The European Union has published Directives on the restriction of certain hazardous substances in electronic and electrical equipment (the "RoHS Directive") and on electronic and electrical waste management (the "WEEE Directive"). The RoHS Directive restricts the use of a number of substances, including lead. The WEEE Directive directs members of the European Union to enact laws, regulations and administrative provisions to ensure that producers of electric and electronic equipment are financially responsible for the collection, recycling, treatment and environmentally responsible disposal of certain products sold into the European Union. In addition, similar environmental legislation has been enacted in other jurisdictions, including the United States (under federal and state laws) and other countries.
In addition, the European Union has defined a regulation for the registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals that places responsibility on companies to manage the risks from chemicals contained in products and to provide safety information about such substances. Manufacturers and importers are required to gather information on the properties of the chemical substances in their products and provide for their safe handling. As of January 5, 2021, companies supplying products in the European Union containing substances of very high concern as identified by the European Union have to submit information on these products to the European Chemicals Agency. The information in their database is then made available to waste operators and consumers.
Other countries have adopted chemical restrictions regulations, including the United States, Canada and Australia. For example, U.S. governmental authorities are increasingly focused on preventing environmental contamination from per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances ("PFAS"), which may be contained in certain Axon products. Federal and state governments and agencies are in various stages of considering and/or implementing laws and regulations requiring the reporting, restriction and/or phase-out of PFAS in products.
In addition, further environmental or climate change disclosure legislation may be enacted in the jurisdictions in which we operate, including the United States (under federal and state laws) and other countries, the cumulative impact of which could be significant. For example, the European Union's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the United Kingdom's Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting will introduce additional due diligence and disclosure requirements addressing sustainability that will apply or we expect will apply, as applicable, to us in the coming years. Further, in September 2023, California passed the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act and the Climate-Related Financial Risk Act, requiring increased climate-related reporting. While currently stayed, the SEC's recently adopted climate-related reporting requirements, to the extent they become effective, will also require extensive additional due diligence and disclosure regarding sustainability.
These requirements will, and new, or changes in, environmental or climate change disclosure laws, regulations or rules could, lead to increased costs of compliance, including remediations of any discovered issues, and changes to our operations, including our manufacturing practices and/or product designs, which may be significant and could negatively impact our business, results of operations, financial condition and competitive position. Any failures to comply could result in governmental action, including the imposition of fines, or demands or orders that we modify or cease existing business practices, which could adversely affect our financial results.