Yeah, Kraken SDR removed some functionality due to these concerns, if I remember correctly.
Odd, because export controls don't generally apply to published material (like open source software), but maybe they were worried that because they were also selling the hardware they could have issues due to the combo being export controlled.
As someone who works daily with export-control-adjacent hardware and software, my experience is that people tend to aggressively self-censor to a far higher standard than export control regulations actually require. The perceived headache of drawing the ire of whoever it is the enforces this stuff (which as I type this comment I'm just realizing I don't know who specifically is responsible for that) is so scary that people don't want to take any risk at all of being targeted.
> Direction finding equipment for determining bearings to specific electromagnetic sources or terrain characteristics specially designed for defense articles in paragraph (a)(1) of USML Category IV or paragraphs (a)(5), (a)(6), or (a)
ITAR part 121.
The "specifically designed for defense" probably makes this OK, but IANAL.
The covered materials are very broad, though often limited to equipment built "for purposes of", like in this section.
Title 22 Chapter I Subchapter M Part 121 - The United States Munitions List - Category XI Paragraph b
Electronic systems, equipment or software, not elsewhere enumerated in this subchapter, specially designed for intelligence purposes that collect, survey, monitor, or exploit, or analyze and produce information from, the electromagnetic spectrum (regardless of transmission medium), or for counteracting such activities.
At what point does a microphone become an intelligence device, when we have so many types of microphones. Is it an arbitrary label I can add or remove to a product? Will it apply equally to large manufacturers?
Where did your quote come from? The comment you're replying to says "specially designed for intelligence purposes". The word "specifically" doesn't appear.