Report · Money

U.S. tech sanctions are not working or counterproductive for two-thirds of Americans

Reading

In a Verasight survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted April 9 to 15, 2025, 65% of Americans said U.S. export control sanctions on technology are not effective or are counterproductive in stopping sanctioned firms from developing dual-use technology. Including 35% who said not effective, 19% who said slightly counterproductive in triggering those firms to develop their own technology, and 10% who said completely counterproductive.

About a third said the sanctions are effective in stopping sanctioned firms (35%), with 28% who said slightly effective and 8% who said very effective.

Topline

response scale

Topline scale

65% of Americans say U.S. export control sanctions are not working or are counterproductive.

That being said, to what extent do you think the US sanctions, by restricting the US technology, will succeed in stopping sanctioned entities from developing their own technology and alleviating the national security concerns?

  • Not effective 35.2%
  • Slightly effective in stopping sanctioned firms from developing dual-use technology 27.6%
  • Slightly counterproductive in triggering sanctioned firms to develop their own technology 19.1%
  • Completely counterproductive in triggering sanctioned firms to develop their own technology 10.3%
  • Very effective in stopping sanctioned firms from developing dual-use technology 7.8%

2025 · base n 1,000 · +/- 3.5%

policy

View source

Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2025-04-09 → 2025-04-15
Base (unweighted)
1,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.5%
Module
policy

Source

  • 01
    U.S. tech sanctions are not working or counterproductive for two-thirds of Americansreports.verasight.io/reports/verasight-mpsa-omnibus-survey-2025-026

Citation

Verasight MPSA Omnibus Survey #2025-026, fielded April 9-15, 2025, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.5%.

https://reports.verasight.io/reports/verasight-mpsa-omnibus-survey-2025-026#that-being-said-to-what-extent-do-you-think-the-us-sanctions-by-restricting-the-us-technology-will-succeed-in-stopping-sanctioned-entities-from-developing-their-own-technology-and-alleviating-the-national-security-concerns

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. Each wave's specific field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that wave's report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
Every wave is published as a standalone report at verasight.io/reports with full instrument and methodology.
Transparency
AAPOR transparency standards.

Wave-specific methodology, full weighting variable lists, and verbatim instrument text live in each report at verasight.io/reports.