Pakistan's mass surveillance, censorship backed by China, US, EU, UAE tech firms: Amnesty report

Islamabad [Pakistan], September 10 (ANI): A new report by Amnesty International on Tuesday has revealed that Pakistan's growing mass surveillance and online censorship infrastructure is being powered by a global web of technology companies based in China, Europe, North America, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The report, titled "Shadows of Control", documents how sophisticated surveillance tools are being deployed in the country with the assistance of foreign firms, allowing Pakistani authorities to monitor, censor, and control digital communication at an unprecedented scale.

According to the report, the investigation, carried out over a year in collaboration with several international media and human rights organisations, exposes how Pakistani authorities are using two core systems, the Web Monitoring System (WMS 2.0) and the Lawful Intercept Management System (LIMS), to conduct broad surveillance and censor online content with virtually no oversight or transparency.

According to Amnesty, Pakistan's WMS 2.0 operates as a nationwide firewall capable of blocking both access to the internet and specific online content deemed "unlawful" by the state.

This system evolved from an earlier version installed in 2018, utilising technology provided by the Canadian company Sandvine, now operating as AppLogic Networks. Following Sandvine's exit from the Pakistani market in 2023, a newer and more advanced version of the firewall was deployed using technology from Chinese firm Geedge Networks and hardware and software supplied by US-based Niagara Networks and French company Thales, as per Amnesty's findings.

Meanwhile, the Lawful Intercept Management System has been mandated by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to be embedded across telecom networks. It enables authorities, including Pakistan's Armed Forces and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), to intercept calls, read messages, and monitor the websites visited by citizens.

The Amnesty report highlights that German company Utimaco and Emirati firm Datafusion were responsible for supplying the core technology that powers this system.

LIMS allows authorities to carry out targeted surveillance on any individual, accessing real-time data from telecom providers and potentially tracking more than four million people at a time.

Amnesty said the surveillance regime has become a key instrument in stifling dissent and repressing civil society, especially journalists and activists. The legal system in Pakistan provides limited protection against such surveillance, with safeguards such as judicial warrants often being ignored. One journalist interviewed for the report described the extent of the intrusion he faced after publishing a report on government corruption. He said he became the subject of constant surveillance, and even those he communicated with were questioned by authorities. Fearing for the safety of his family, he stopped speaking with them altogether.

"Obviously, everything is monitored, be it email or calls...After the story, anyone I would speak to, even on WhatsApp, would come under scrutiny. [The authorities] would go to people and ask them, why did he call you? [The authorities] can go to these extreme lengths... now I go months without speaking to my family [for fear they will be targeted]," the journalist said, as quoted in the report.

Amnesty International's Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, said the situation in Pakistan has reached a dangerous point. She described the current reality as dystopian, where ordinary people are subjected to constant digital surveillance without their knowledge. She added that the tools of this surveillance regime are being funded by public money, enabled by foreign companies, and used to silence criticism, curtail expression, and punish dissent.

"Pakistan's Web Monitoring System and Lawful Intercept Management System operate like watchtowers, constantly snooping on the lives of ordinary citizens. In Pakistan, your texts, emails, calls and internet access are all under scrutiny. But people have no idea of this constant surveillance and its incredible reach. This dystopian reality is extremely dangerous because it operates in the shadow, severely restricting freedom of expression and access to information," said Secretary General at Amnesty International, Agnès Callamard.

The report also criticised the role of the foreign companies and the countries in which they are based.

Amnesty stated that while these companies are profiting from contracts with the Pakistani state, they are also failing to meet their responsibilities under international human rights law.

Of the 20 companies contacted, only Niagara Networks and AppLogic Networks responded in full. Utimaco and Datafusion gave partial responses but did not engage with Amnesty's final findings. The Pakistani government did not respond to any of the letters sent by Amnesty. Export control authorities in Germany and Canada acknowledged receipt of queries but did not provide answers.

Amnesty said the use of technology originally developed for legitimate law enforcement purposes has turned into a system of mass control, with little to no transparency or accountability.

It pointed to the commercialisation of China's "Great Firewall" as an example, with components now being used in Pakistan via Geedge Networks to suppress digital freedom.

The report concluded that Pakistan's surveillance infrastructure is not only illegal under international human rights standards but also morally indefensible. It called on the international community to enact stricter regulations on the export of surveillance technology and to hold companies accountable for their role in enabling repression in countries like Pakistan. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)