Many states now resort to the systematic surveillance of their citizens. In authoritarian states surveillance is all too often used as a means of oppression. With a couple of clicks, authorities in states like Syria, Bahrain, Turkey and Ethiopia can control a person’s computer or smartphone. The intercepted data is used to systematically spy on networks of political and human rights activists, journalists and political opponents. In many cases this surveillance is a precursor to further human rights violations: detention, torture, forced confessions and wrongful convictions.
The spy software and technical support for this surveillance is often provided by corporations based in European states – including the UK and Germany. This is made possible by lax export controls and regulations. The companies fail to take any responsibility for human rights violations committed through the use of their products.
ECCHR takes legal action, e.g. criminal complaints and OECD complaints, against software companies that contribute or could be contributing to serious human rights violations such as the unlawful arrest, detention and the torture of regime critics and activists.
Surveillance
British-German surveillance technology provider Gamma infringed on its human rights obligations with products such as “state trojan” FinFisher. This was confirmed by the UK’s OECD National Contact Point. In 2013, ECCHR submitted a complaint against Gamma and German firm Trovicor.
