Surveillance Watch is an interactive map revealing the intricate connections between surveillance companies, their funding sources and affiliations.
Vietnam
1Byte is a Vietnam-based company operating a network of spyware apps and generating millions in revenue since at least 2016. One of these apps, TheTruthSpy, can discreetly upload your call logs, text messages, photos, browsing history, and real-time location data. 1Byte used fake American identities, forged passports, and manipulated financial systems to evade detection and process payments. A TechCrunch found that it is actively facilitating the secret surveillance of hundreds of thousands of Android users around the world. TechCrunch also identified at least least nine known near-identical spyware apps in TheTruthSpy’s network: Copy9, MxSpy, iSpyoo, SecondClone, TheSpyApp, ExactSpy, GuestSpy and FoneTracker, all of which operate just like TheTruthSpy but under different names.
Copy9, MxSpy, iSpyoo, SecondClone, TheSpyApp, ExactSpy, GuestSpy, FoneTracker
Sweden
4Intelligence AB is a manufacturer and provider of surveillance tools, produced primarily for intelligence agencies, law enforcement authorities, military units, and private security companies. Their IMSI/IMEI catchers are designed to collect essential identifiers, such as IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) and IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity), from cellular devices operating on GSM, UMTS, LTE, and 5G networks. These systems are utilized for intelligence gathering and monitoring within the operational radius of the devices. In addition to IMSI catchers, the company offers a range of products, including RF detectors, WiFi monitoring, camouflaged video transmitters and recorders, vehicle geolocation systems, location based tracking and other interception technologies. In addition to Sweden, the company also has offices in Cyprus and Dubai, UAE.
India
The Advanced Application for Social Media Analytics (AASMA) is a social media surveillance tool developed by the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi, with funding from the Indian government. It is utilized by at least 40 government departments in India. AASMA can collect and analyze live data from platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, perform sentiment analysis, track user locations and devices, and send alerts to authorities based on predefined criteria. It is employed for purposes such as monitoring public sentiment, handling protests, and identifying influential users.
Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-Delhi)
Italy
Established in 1996 and headquartered in Italy, AREA (aka Area SpA) offers a range of surveillance tools that are primarily designed for law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The company markets monitoring systems engineered to intercept internet traffic and track individuals via GPS, as stated on its official website. The company established a presence in Oman to work with institutional clients in the country. AREA has also offered its surveillance technology to Syria, specifically providing internet and telephone wiretapping gear to the Syrian Telecom Establishment, which is suspected to have been used by Assad's secret service. AREA was also reportedly involved in exporting internet surveillance systems to Egypt, specifically to the Technical Research Department, an intelligence branch known for its role in political repression and human rights violations.
AREA Systems UK
Israel
Ability is a security firm based in Tel Aviv. The company develops and provides interception and decryption communication tools to security and intelligence agencies, military forces, police and homeland security services. Its surveillance capabilities include both passive and active interception of cellular communications across GSM, CDMA, UMTS, and LTE networks, as well as satellite communication interception for systems like Thuraya, Iridium, and VSAT. Ability also offers decryption tools to break encrypted communications and geolocation technologies for tracking cellular devices, and developed the Crosscan system, a portable IMSI catcher for tracking mobile devices. Its operations span across 50 countries worldwide. Ability cooperated with NSO Group on Pegasus and handled the network side of NSO’s operations. In 2015, it merged with Cambridge Capital Acquisition Corporation (aka Cambridge.)
NSO Group, Pegasus, Cambridge Capital Acquisition Corporation
United States
AccessData Group was a U.S.-based cybersecurity company that specialized in digital forensics investigation technology. The company was particularly known for developing the Forensic Toolkit (FTK), which became an industry-standard tool for extracting and analyzing data from digital devices. The technology was notably used by law enforcement agencies worldwide, including in Nigeria, where it was employed alongside other forensic tools for extracting information from seized devices. AccessData's controversial merger with Exterro created a powerful surveillance conglomerate. Their combined digital forensics and data extraction capabilities give law enforcement and government agencies unprecedented access to personal information, particularly given the company's two-decade history of developing tools that can crack passwords, decrypt files, and extract sensitive personal data from devices without user consent. AccessData's Forensic Toolkit (FTK) was also used by Botswana's Police Service Digital Forensics Laboratory alongside Cellebrite's UFED to conduct invasive searches of journalists' devices. The technology was deployed in the case of Oratile Dikologang, a digital editor, where police "successfully extracted" and "thoroughly analyzed" thousands of messages, contacts, images, audio files, videos, and social media accounts from his phone. When contacted by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) about this surveillance activity, AccessData and its parent company Exterro declined to respond to questions about their technology's use in Botswana's press freedom violations.
Exterro
United States
Acxiom is a data broker and marketing technology company headquartered in Conway, Arkansas. Known for its extensive data collection and analytics capabilities, Acxiom aggregates and processes vast amounts of personal information, including demographic details, purchasing behavior, online activity, real-time location, and more. This data is used to create detailed consumer profiles, which are then sold to a wide range of clients, including advertisers, marketers, financial institutions, government agencies and political organizations. In the U.S, the company has held contracts with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the State Department and other federal government agencies. In 2014, Acxiom acquired LiveRamp, integrating its services to enable cross-device tracking and data onboarding, which helps connect online and offline consumer data. This partnership allows Acxiom to extend its data reach, offering even more granular insights into consumer behavior and location data to a broader range of clients. In 2018, Acxiom claimed to have data on over 2.5 billion people in over 62 countries, including 68% of the global online population.
LiveRamp
China
Aegis is one of the products offered by Semptian, a Chinese company, designed to be installed inside phone and internet networks. It is used to secretly collect people’s email records, phone calls, messages, geolocation data, and web browsing histories.
Canada
Aeryon Labs, now part of FLIR Systems, is a provider of high-performance surveillance drones and related software. Its SkyRanger drone is designed for real-time aerial surveillance and has been integrated into policing platforms like the Microsoft Advanced Patrol Platform (MAPP). The SkyRanger provides law enforcement agencies with live video feeds during patrols and operations. The drone's features include high-resolution cameras, automatic license plate readers, and proximity sensors, all connected to cloud platforms like Microsoft Azure for data analysis and storage.
LIR Systems, Microsoft Azure
Spain
Agnitio, a company specializing in biometric identification and surveillance technologies, developed several advanced tools for security and surveillance applications. Through its flagship product, BATVOX, Agnitio’s technology can analyze and verify a person's identity based on their voice. It also provides facial recognition systems that can identify or verify individuals by analyzing facial features. Its primary clients include police, intelligence, military, and government organizations. It operates in at least 35 countries worldwide. In 2016, it was acquired by Nuance Communications, which itself was acquired by Microsoft in 2022.
BATVOX, Nuance Communications, Microsoft
Israel
Airobotics is an Israeli startup specializing in the development and operation of autonomous unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The company offers fully automated solutions for data capture and analysis. Their drones, such as the Optimus system, are designed to perform a range of tasks including real-time aerial surveillance. These drones are capable of operating 24/7 without human intervention, designed for continuous surveillance and data collection. In 2022, it was acquired by US company Ondas Holdings, a provider of technology platforms that digitize industrial and government operations.
Ondas Holdings
Bulgaria
Almenta is a surveillance firm based in Bulgaria and run by Israeli operators, including CEO Ari Covitz. It develops Wi-Fi-based hacking tools, which it showcased at the Milipol homeland security conference. The company offers a product called WiNA-P, which enables a variety of attacks on smartphones by exploiting Wi-Fi networks. These attacks include delivering malware to extract data from apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, and Skype, as well as phishing capabilities to steal login credentials through fake landing pages. Almenta also advertises an "Account Grabber" feature to identify iCloud or Android accounts by sending deceptive messages to targets. Alongside WiNA-P, Almenta promotes a product called “Observer,” which offers “worldwide geo location,” as described in a blurb on Milipol’s website. A brochure for “Observer” reveals that, with only a target’s mobile phone number, the device’s location can be pinpointed and displayed on a Google Maps interface. The company claims its tools can operate from up to 500 meters away and target as many as 50 devices simultaneously. Almenta's technology reportedly relies on tools from other Israeli surveillance firms, such as WiSpear and Jenovice, with costs for such systems starting at $1 million.
WiSpear, Jenovice
Ecuador
Alpheratz is a security and intelligence solutions distributor based in Quito, Ecuador. Founded in 2014, the company serves as a regional representative of surveillance tools, primarily working with Ecuadorian public institutions including the national police force, joint armed forces command, and the office of the prosecutor general. As a distributor, Alpheratz represents various international intelligence firms, including Israeli cyber intelligence companies that are part of Tal Dilian's Intellexa network, and acts as their representative in Ecuador. According to Intelligence Online, Alpheratz also represents other intelligence companies, including Sweden's MSAB, Canada's Magnet Forensics and Polish big data analytics specialist Datawalk. The company's full legal name is Soluciones Globales & Representaciones Alpheratz Cia. LTDA.
Intellexa
France
Amesys is a French company known for the sale of a program called Cerebro, capable of tracking the electronic communications of its targets, including email addresses and phone numbers. In 2007, it reportedly sold surveillance technology to Libya, which was used by the Gaddafi regime to arrest and torture critics of the regime. Former managers of Amesys went on to run Nexa Technologies, which, in 2014, sold an interception system to the Egyptian regime under the name Eagle. The system was used in connection with the detention and torture of political opponents of the Al-Sissi regime. Eagle was deployed and maintained by Amesys from 2007 to 2011. In 2021, executives of Amesys and Nexa Technologies were indicted for complicity in torture. The company rebranded to Advanced Middle East Systems and moved its operations to the United Arab Emirates.
Nexa Technologies, Eagle, Cerebro, Intellexa, Advanced Middle East Systems
United States
Anduril, a defense technology company headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, has developed an integrated suite of surveillance technologies centered around their core AI operating system called Lattice. This software platform serves as the "brain" behind their surveillance systems. The company's products include the Autonomous Surveillance Tower (AST) system, which has significant capabilities, such as detecting human presence from up to 2.8 kilometers away, operating continuously ("never sleeps, never blinks"), uses AI to autonomously detect, identify, and track "objects of interest" including humans and vehicles, and employs radar for movement detection and automated camera systems. The company has deployed 300 of these towers for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), primarily focusing on border surveillance operations. Anduril is also the developer of Wisp, an AI-enabled surveillance system that provides passive, full-motion, 360-degree wide-area imaging for automated surveillance.
OpenAI, Palantir
United States
Anomaly Six (A6) is a Virginia-based company founded in 2018 by two ex-military intelligence officers. The company claims to have the capability to track approximately 3 billion devices in real time through GPS data collected via smartphone apps. According to a report by The Intercept, their surveillance system operates by gathering location data through partnerships with "thousands" of apps using software development kits (SDKs). The company also claimed to have the capability to unmask and track intelligence agency (CIA and NSA) personnel during a pitch to Zignal Labs, a social media monitoring company. The company proposed a joint venture with Zignal Labs that would enable the U.S. government to conduct seamless surveillance operations on adversaries. Anomaly Six's capabilities are largely made possible through the advertising industry's data collection practices, highlighting the connection between commercial data brokers and surveillance techniques. U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) paid $589,500 to Anomaly Six in September 2020 for a "Commercial Telemetry Feed." The company's co-founder, Brendan Huff, previously managed Defense Department relationships of another U.S surveillance company called Babel Street.
Babel Street
Israel
AnyVision, an Israeli company with an international presence, is behind advanced tactical surveillance software used to monitor the movements of Palestinians. Their flagship facial recognition product, Better Tomorrow, is an automated watchlist alerting system that identifies persons of interest and their contact history in real-time. The company's CEO is a former operating partner at SoftBank's investment arm, which co-led a large fundraising round for the company alongside Eldridge, an American holding company headquartered in Connecticut. A few months after the extent of their surveillance systems were exposed in U.S schools, they rebranded to Oosto and resumed operations.
Better Tomorrow, PTS Sweden AB, Oosto, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd, SightX
India
Appin was an Indian hack-for-hire company founded in 2003 by brothers Rajat and Anuj Khare, and involved in extensive surveillance activities. Operating through various subsidiaries including Appin Software Security Pvt. Ltd. and the Appin Security Group, the company positioned itself as a cybersecurity solutions provider. While publicly presenting itself as the "world's 4th largest Critical Infrastructure Security Solutions Company", the company was reportedly involved in hack-for-hire activities, including espionage and targeted surveillance. The company served a wide range of clients, including Israeli private detectives Aviram Halevi and Tamir Mor, who alone commissioned surveillance operations on dozens of targets. Appin has garnered attention for its aggressive legal campaign to suppress reporting about its past activities, most notably forcing Reuters to temporarily remove an investigative article through an Indian court order. The Association of Appin Training Centers, a successor organization, has pursued legal action against multiple media outlets to remove references to Appin's illegal hacking operations, though this effort has faced resistance from organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and DDoSecrets. The company's influence persists through numerous successor organizations, with former Appin employees establishing and operating their own firms that continue similar surveillance and hacking operations.
Appin Software Security Pvt. Ltd, Appin Security Group, The Association of Appin Training Centers
Switzerland
Led by Israeli entrepreneur Mati Kochavi, Asia Global Technologies (AGT) won a contract from the Abu Dhabi government in 2008 to create a “smart city” network of surveillance cameras, electronic fences and sensors that paid about $6 billion over seven years.
IoTA, Logic Industries, Falcon Eye, Advanced Integrated Systems
Israel
Assac Networks is an Israeli company that provides smartphone monitoring technologies. Its clients include other companies engaged in surveillance activities, such as Elbit Systems, Verint, and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. Their mobile surveillance technologies are used by law enforcement agencies in Mexico, Colombia, Canada, Spain, and Singapore, amongst other countries. The company was also awarded a government contract from one of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, although it is not known which one, as well as in at least 3 countries in Africa. In 2022, the company announced a major strategic investment and acquisition by ASPIS Technologies, Inc.
Elbit Systems, Verint, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, ASPIS Technologies, Inc.
Israel
Ateros develops advanced wireless surveillance sensors to monitor Cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth communications, creating detailed communication fingerprints of targets. It claims to service customers in the Americas, EMEA and APAC regions. The products are primarily utilized for surveillance purposes by law enforcement, intelligence units, and at checkpoints and borders.
China
Autel Robotics, a Chinese drone manufacturer, is a producer of drones with capabilities such as high-resolution cameras, precise surveillance tools, and the ability to carry out military functions like shooting or carrying payloads. Autel drones have been widely deployed in various conflict zones. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) make extensive use of Autel drones. According to the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, while they were initially deployed for surveillance and intelligence gathering, including for indoor operations, their use later expanded to include direct attacks on Palestinian civilians, including children, women, and the elderly. Autel drones are widely used by law enforcement agencies in the U.S, and have also been adopted by the British Army and UK police forces, including those in Nottinghamshire and Wiltshire. The company has a registered office in the UAE.
United States
Avathon, formerly known as SparkCognition, markets its Visual AI Advisor as a tool for real-time surveillance and monitoring, using existing CCTV infrastructure to track, analyze and predict behavior. SparkCognition has connections to controversial lobbying efforts, revealed in the scandal involving retired U.S General John Allen and his undisclosed financial ties to Qatar. Court filings revealed that Allen, while working with Qatari officials, sought to advance the interests of companies he was affiliated with, including SparkCognition. As a board member of SparkCognition, Allen reportedly used his position to promote the company's AI tools and services during his interactions with Qatari officials. SparkCognition's Visual AI Advisor is deployed across over 130,000 cameras in 16 countries. The company's SkyGrid technology is installed in over 78,000 registered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) across more than 190 countries.
SparkCognition, SkyGrid, Visual AI Advisor
Canada
Avigilon, a subsidiary of Motorola Solutions, specializes in the design, development, and manufacture of advanced surveillance solutions that integrate artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. Their products include high-definition cameras, video management software, and AI-powered analytics tools. One of the company's developments is the Avigilon Appearance Search technology, an AI-powered tool embedded in their Avigilon Control Center (ACC) video management software. This technology allows customers to search for individuals based on specific physical characteristics, such as hair and clothing color, gender, and age, effectively turning surveillance systems into tools for profiling. Avigilon's cameras are used in prisons, airports, schools and government facilities.
Motorola Solutions
Israel
Avnon Group is an Israeli firm that develops and distributes surveillance technologies through various subsidiaries, such as Bler and Tactic Lab. It's founded by Tomer Avnon, a former Israeli Navy SEAL. The company offers various tools for intelligence and law enforcement, like IMSI catchers and Wi-Fi sniffing equipment, to enable real-time mobile tracking and wireless communication interception. According to its official website, it operates in over 80 countries worldwide. Avnon has established partnerships with various countries in the SWANA region, including Morocco and several Gulf nations. The company also has a significant relationship with Egypt, where its subsidiary Bler sold its monitoring tools, specifically its Webint Center platform, to Egypt's Technical Research Department through intermediaries. Avnon sold social media-tracking software to Hungary, allowing the government to monitor online discourse and public opinion. The sale was approved by Israel's Defense Ministry. Related to Avnon Group is Synaptech Capital, the first Israeli-Emirati venture capital fund to invest in Israeli and Emirati startups - including ones that develop and distribute surveillance technologies. Synaptech Capital was co-founded by Tomer Avnon and Obediah Ayton, COO of The Private Investment Group.
Bler, Tactic Lab, HIVE 2040, Synaptech Capital
Sweden
Axis Communications, a Swedish company known for its network cameras and other surveillance solutions, has a presence in the United Arab Emirates and sells its products there. In 2014, Axis praised mandatory video surveillance in Dubai. In 2015, the company was acquired by Canon Inc. The company provided its technology to China's public security system and was frequently mentioned as a "recommended brand" in Chinese state surveillance procurement documents from 2012 to 2019.
Canon Inc.
United Kingdom
BAE, Britain’s biggest arms company, secretly sold mass surveillance technology to the governments of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Algeria and Morocco. Through its subsidiary, BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, the company sells surveillances tool that can collect, catalogue and analyze millions of people’s electronic communications.
United States
BI Incorporated is a subsidiary of the GEO Group, a private prison company that operates more than a dozen for-profit immigrant detention centers nationwide on behalf of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) in the United States. BI Incorporated operates the technology and manages the system for the U.S. government's Alternatives to Detention program. This program uses various surveillance tools to monitor migrants and asylum seekers awaiting their immigration proceedings. The surveillance technologies used in the Alternatives to Detention program include GPS-enabled ankle monitors, voice recognition technology, and a mobile app called SmartLINK that uses facial recognition software and geolocation for check-ins. The program's surveillance creates "digital enclaves" - areas with high concentrations of monitored migrants, effectively extending the border's reach into various U.S. cities and neighborhoods. According to The Guardian, "BI Incorporated operates the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP), a surveillance system launched in 2004 and pitched as a way to keep immigrants out of detention centers while they await a court hearing on their legal status. The U.S government pays BI hundreds of millions of dollars a year to run ISAP, and in 2020, the company signed a new five-year contract with ICE for nearly $2.2 billion." The company may be expanding its surveillance toolkit. In April, 2023, ICE announced it was pilot testing a facial recognition smartwatch as a potential addition to their e-monitoring systems.
Protocol Criminal Justice, The GEO Group
United States
Babel Street provides tools that analyzes and monitors social media and other online sources for law enforcement and intelligence purposes. Used by U.S Secret Service, it can scrape data from over 25 social media sites, translate over 200 languages, and set up geo-fences with customizable filtering options. The software can also survey sentiment geographically over time and import data to other surveillance platforms like Palantir. One of its flagship AI products, Babel X, is used by the U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to analyze the social media of U.S. citizens, refugees, and asylum seekers. Babel X can link social media posts to individuals' Social Security numbers, location data, and collect a wide range of other identifiers, including IP addresses, employment history, and unique advertising identifiers. CBP also uses Locate X, an add-on that includes smartphone location data, and has access to AdID information. Locate X can zoom into a specific location and display the movements of smartphones in that area. Each phone, represented by a red dot on the map, can be tracked individually. The tool can show the path a specific device has taken, including stops at various locations. Babel Street's acquisitions include intelligence company Vertical Knowledge in 2024, Rosette, a text analytics platform, in 2022, and Dunami, a social media intelligence company, in 2020. Its board of advisers includes Robert Ashley, ex-director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Vertical Knowledge, Rosette, Dunami
Iraq
The Balgh (بلغ - meaning "report" in Arabic) platform, launched by Iraq's Ministry of Interior in January 2023, is a digital tool designed to allow citizens to report social media content deemed to "violate public morals" or "undermine social stability." Within just over a month of its launch, the platform received over 96,000 reports, resulting in prosecutions and prison sentences for individuals accused of publishing content deemed critical or offensive, including creators of music and comedy. In a statement co-signed by the nonprofit INSM for Digital Rights in Iraq on January 2025, marking two years since the launch of Balgh, human rights organizations highlighted how the platform has enabled a pervasive culture of widespread surveillance and fear online. It has encouraged individuals to monitor and report one another to the Iraqi authorities, leading to arrests and interrogations.
Bahrain
BeAware, Bahrain's COVID-19 contact tracing app, was utilized as a mass surveillance tool. The app collect excessive data, including real-time GPS location, and can easily identify users based on their account ID. Location data and other diagnostic information from the Bluetooth bracelet connected to the BeAware Bahrain app are regularly transmitted to a central server.
United States
Founded in 2002, Belkasoft is a company that operates a suite of tools that assist law enforcement in uncovering and analyzing data from computers, mobile devices, and cloud services. It counts amongst its customers the U.S Army, U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S Secret Service, various police departments and intelligence agencies across Europe, Canada, the UK, and Asia.
India
BellTroX InfoTech Services is an Indian IT firm offered its hacking services to help clients spy on more than 10,000 email accounts over a period of seven years. A cache of data reviewed by Reuters provides insight into the operation, detailing tens of thousands of malicious messages designed to trick victims into giving up their passwords that were sent by BellTroX between 2013 and 2020. The data was supplied on condition of anonymity by online service providers used by the hackers after Reuters alerted the firms to unusual patterns of activity on their platforms. Citizen Lab revealed in an investgiation that Dark Basin is a hack-for-hire organization linked to BellTroX. Their report also noted that Dark Basin is the group behind the phishing of organizations working on net neutrality advocacy, uncovered by a report by the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
CyberRoot International Ltd, CyberRoot Risk Advisory Private Ltd, BellTroX Infotech Services Private Ltd, Dark Basin
United States
Berico Technologies provided analytics solutions and surveillance technologies for government clients, including social media analysis for intelligence purposes. Patrick Ryan, who worked at Berico as a data mining expert, was involved in a proposal aimed at implementing real-time surveillance of politically active individuals and groups in the USA. In partnership with Palantir Technologies and HBGary Federal, the proposal would have included spying on the families of prominent Democratic activists and planting fabricated documents within labor unions to undermine their credibility. Novetta, Inc., a portfolio company of The Carlyle Group, acquired Berico Technologies in November 2018 for an undisclosed sum. Novetta was then acquired by Accenture Federal in 2021.
Novetta, Inc., Accenture, HBGary Federal, Palantir, Dataminr
United States
Berla is a Maryland-based company that develops vehicle forensics products, with its primary tool, Project iVe, allowing law enforcement to extract and analyze vast amounts of data from vehicles. This includes vehicle-generated information such as GPS logs, door activity, and even data from connected devices like smartphones via Bluetooth or USB. Berla collaborates with automobile manufacturers and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ensuring law enforcement has access to vehicle data while bypassing smartphone encryption. The company claims its technology can access data from over 6,700 car models globally.
Cellebrite
Israel
Better Tomorrow is an advanced Tactical Surveillance System (T.S.S) designed for real-time face recognition. It employs deep learning algorithms to identify, track, and recognize individuals of interest in any environment and at any moment. The system can simultaneously analyze multiple live video feeds from different sources, including CCTV cameras, wearable devices, and mobile cameras. Better Tomorrow is a product by AnyVision (rebranded to Oosto), which uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to transform passive security cameras into proactive surveillance systems.
AnyVision, Oosto
Turkey
Bilgi Teknoloji Tasarım (BTT) is a Turkish spyware manufacturer that also facilitates surveillance technology sales, often employing deceptive practices to bypass export restrictions. According to an Al Jazeera investigation, BTT's co-founder, Alper Tosun, proposed using the "dual-use" ruse to market surveillance equipment as benign telecom tools. This tactic allowed BTT to sidestep international regulations and sell powerful interception tools, such as IMSI-catchers, to repressive regimes. BTT's controversial history includes its exposure in the 2015 Hacking Team leaks, which revealed its intermediary role in supplying surveillance software to Bangladesh's National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC). Following these revelations, BTT underwent significant transformations. It was acquired in 2017 by the Emirati firm B Research and Development but later ceased operations. However, its spyware and surveillance activities continued through corporate rebranding and restructuring. In 2022, BTT reemerged as Ikon Arge Teknoloji, a Turkish-Singaporean entity with ties to Southeast Asia. Ikon inherited BTT's expertise and staff, including its former R&D chief Alper Tosun, before his "retirement." Officially, Ikon focuses on software R&D, including drone technology, and serves Turkish government agencies like TUBITAK while maintaining a presence in Southeast Asia through its Singapore branch. Despite its claims of working in sectors like banking, Ikon's history and connections suggest a continued involvement in surveillance technologies. Lam Chee Loong is a key figure in BTT's Singapore operations.
DarkBlue, B Research and Development, Ikon Arge Teknoloji, Hacking Team
Israel
Led by Eylon Ben Yaakov and Daniel Shapiro, both formerly of IT security research start-up KayHut, the company provides a range of digital surveillance tools and has secured cyber offensive contracts with Israeli intelligence services. Additionally, Bindecy advanced its capabilities by acquiring intellectual property from the former Israeli spyware firm Merlinx (which supplied its tools to Bangladesh's intelligence service, via Israeli-PC integrator Prelysis.)
Epsilon, Merlinx, KayHut
Israel
Black Cube is a private intelligence agency based in Israel, specializing in providing intelligence and investigative services to a wide range of clients. The agency was founded by former Israeli intelligence officers, with offices in London and Madrid. Black Cube is known for conducting corporate espionage, intelligence gathering, and investigations on behalf of corporations, governments, and high-profile individuals worldwide. Its clients include Harvey Weinstein and Trump. It was banned by Meta for its surveillance activities on its platforms. Its international advisory board included Meir Dagan, former head of Mossad, and Yohanan Danino, former Israeli Police Commissioner, as well as Major General Giora Eiland, former head of the Israeli National Security Council, and who headed the IDF's Operation Branch. Former NSO CEO Shalev Hulio admitted to hiring Black Cube at in at least one situation in Cyprus.
NICE Systems, NSO Group, Pegasus
United Arab Emirates
Led by Israeli intelligence veterans, Black Wall Global is an entity based in Dubai that serves as a back-channel for Arab countries seeking to procure and deploy Israeli surveillance technologies. This includes technologies developed by Israeli companies like Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Elbit Systems, and others, specifically to obtain access to advanced surveillance drones and systems for intelligence gathering.
United States
BlackBag Technologies develops digital forensic and incident response software for analyzing traditional device data for Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android devices. It was acquired by Cellebrite, the Israeli company which works with police departments and government agencies to unlock phones for data-scraping purposes. It's funded by In-Q-Tel, which is a CIA-owned investment firm that supports U.S intelligence capabilities.
Acquired by Cellebrite
Israel
Bler is an Israeli company founded by Efim Lerner and Uri Boros. It develops a range of surveillance tools, such as a GTM platform designed for in-depth analysis of social media profiles and interactions. Bler's Webint Center platform provides capabilities such as the geolocation of targets through social media metadata, avatar management systems, and Dark Web monitoring extensions. This platform was supplied to Egypt's Technical Research Department (TRD) via Singapore-based CloudCode and Ukrainian partner Cyberio. Bler also developed an interception and social network monitoring system and utilizes IMSI catchers in its operations. This system, when associated with an IMSI catcher or a WiFi interceptor, can reconstruct the profile of smartphone users within a 600-meter radius. The company operates as a subsidiary of Avnon Group.
CloudCode, Cyberio
United Kingdom
Blighter Surveillance Systems develops electronic-scanning (e-scan) radar and surveillance technologies for border control and military applications. Their products include the B422 LR Border Surveillance System, which offers 360° e-scan coverage and long-range detection of individuals up to 15 km, and the Lightweight Mobile E-Scan Radar. These systems are accompanied by software solutions like the C2 Radar Command & Control Software, which integrates radar data for advanced target tracking. Their surveillance technologies are deployed in over 35 countries, often sold through subsidiaries. Blighter also has a strategic partnership with Trust International Group (TIG), a key player in the UAE’s defense and intelligence sector under the Royal Group, led by Tahnoon bin Zayed, the son of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan ( the founder of the UAE), and who has served as the country's National Security Advisor since 2016.
Trust International Group
United States
Blue Coat Devices capable of filtering, censorship, and surveillance were being used around the world. In 2013, Citizen Lab uncovered 61 Blue Coat ProxySG devices and 316 Blue Coat PacketShaper appliances, devices with specific functionality permitting filtering, censorship, and surveillance. In Syria, Deep Packet Inspection products developed by Blue Coat made it possible for the regime to spy on dissidents and netizens throughout the country, and to arrest and torture them. Blue Coat was acquired by Symantec Corporation in 2016. After the acquisition, some of Blue Coat's products and technologies were integrated into Symantec's portfolio, then sold to Broadcom in 2019. The company was known as CacheFlow until 2002.
CacheFlow, Symantic, Broadcom
Singapore
Blue Ocean is an offensive cyber firm headquartered in Singapore and with offices in Tel Aviv, Israel. The company, founded in 2017 by retired Brigadier General Rami Ben-Ephraim and Lieutenant Colonel Ron Tira, both former high-ranking Israeli Air Force officers, develops spyware for intelligence gathering. It is also involved in training and developing local surveillance expertise in the funding countries. Towards the end of his military service, Ben-Afriam served as a military attaché for the IDF and the Ministry of Defense in several countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Singapore, Thailand, and New Zealand. Singapore's Ministry of Defense has contracted Blue Ocean to supply a team of researchers, a role previously filled by Israeli spyware developer Candiru, while Sweden has become the firm's primary European client, according to Intelligence Online. The company's CEO, Avi Rosen, was previously the former CEO of Kamira, a cyber company established by NSO founders Shalev Hulio and Omri Lavie. Retired General Giora Eiland, known for his role on the board of private investigation firm Black Cube (whose clients include Harvey Weinstein and Trump), serves on Blue Ocean's board. The company has special security approval, giving it economic immunity. Unlike other Israeli spyware firms facing export controls and U.S. restrictions, it has secured significant investments and operates internationally with less scrutiny.
Black Cube, Kamira, NSO Group
Israel
A facial recognition app used by Israeli soldiers at temporary checkpoints to capture photos of Palestinians’ faces and match them to database images, or upload them to biometric databases.
Wolf Pack, Red Wolf, White Wolf
Israel
Bluehawk CI is an Israel-based firm that reportedly offers a range of cyber intelligence and surveillance tools and services, including spyware and hacking tools. Like similar firms, Bluehawk CI markets its services to government agencies, law enforcement, and intelligence organizations. According to the Daily Beast, the company was founded by Guy Klisman, a former Israeli military intelligence officer, and describes itself as an intelligence firm staffed by “alumni from special units in the Israeli intelligence community.” The firm was used to dig up information on people with lawsuits against the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE.
United States
Boldend, founded in 2017 by Jon Miller and based in San Diego, is a cybersecurity startup. It stays out of the spotlight and calls itself a "SaaS Next-Generation Defense Contractor." The company creates tools for cyber warfare, with an emphasis on automation and advanced intelligence activities. Boldend's tools have reportedly been able to exploit WhatsApp's security to install malicious software on target devices. Its products include Origen, described as an "all-in-one malware platform" that enables the creation of malware for multiple platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, and Android. It is designed to hack into devices and extract data. Additionally, Boldend has developed other tools and platforms for surveillance purposes, such as Kevlar (implant analysis), Hedgemaze (traffic obfuscation), and Cricket (Wi-Fi attack hardware). Boldend has primarily worked with government entities, including various branches of the U.S. government. In August, 2024, it was acquired by SIXGEN, a cybersecurity company.
SIXGEN
Germany
Bosch, a German engineering giant, has been criticized for the global use of its surveillance technologies in monitoring activities. Between 2016 and 2018, Bosch supplied approximately 8,000 CCTV cameras to Iran during a period when Western companies were allowed to engage in business with the country. These cameras have reportedly been integrated into Iran's surveillance network, enabling authorities to monitor and penalize women defying the country's mandatory hijab laws. Activists claim these devices are used to track individuals and suppress protests by identifying gatherings in public spaces. Bosch employs AI-enabled video analytics to monitor and analyze activities in real time. Its cameras feature Intelligent Video Analytics Pro (IVA Pro) for tasks like perimeter detection, object tracking, and automated responses. The company has sold its Building Technologies division, which includes video systems, access and intrusion tools, and communication technologies, to Triton Partners, a private equity firm headquartered in Luxembourg. Bosch operates a Chinese venture capital arm called Boyuan Capital.
Triton Partners, Boyuan Capital
Iran
BouldSpy is an Android surveillanceware that has been attributed with moderate confidence to the Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FARAJA). According to Lookout, a cybersecurity company, the malware has been used to spy on over 300 individuals belonging to minority groups, including Iranian Kurds, Baluchis, Azeris, and Armenian Christian groups. It is likely installed by FARAJA using physical access to victim devices, supposedly obtained during detention. The spyware performs its malicious activities in the background, by abusing Android accessibility services, when the user opens one of the targeted applications or when the device is booted or rebooted. BouldSpy harvests sensitive data such as account usernames, browser data, call logs, clipboard content, contact lists, device information, and SMS messages. It also enables operators to record phone calls, take photos using the phone’s camera, log keystrokes, get device location, record audio, and take screenshots. The malware can receive commands via C&C web traffic and via SMS messages.
Israel
BriefCam is a leading provider of Video Content Analytics (VCA) solutions, using artificial intelligence and machine learning to extract detailed insights from video surveillance footage. Their technology enables customers to rapidly review, search, and analyze hours of video in minutes, identifying objects, events, and patterns with high precision. BriefCam’s capabilities include real-time alerting, multi-camera search, and video summarization. BriefCam’s technology is primarily used by law enforcement and government agencies, as well as for "smart city" initiatives. In 2018, Canon completed its acquisition of BriefCam. The company’s partners include other surveillance entities such as Cognyte, Axis Communications, Pelco and IndigoVision.
Canon, Rimage, Milestone, Cognyte, Axis Communications, Pelco, IndigoVision, Moro Hub, CamTrace
Kazakhstan
Butterfly Effect, a spin-off from the Kazakh tech group Kazdream, specializes in telephone interception and open-source intelligence (OSINT) tools. The firm is actively expanding its international presence, establishing a representation bureau in Dubai to target public sector contracts in the Middle East. To facilitate this, its chief commercial officer, Rinata Ilyubayeva, has been engaging with major regional players like the UAE's surveillance powerhouse Group 42 (G42) and Edge Group's subsidiaries, Sign4l and Beacon Red, at events such as the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX). In 2022, it launched a new intercepted data analytics platform named Triton, designed to complement its existing telephone interception and open-source intelligence systems. Butterfly Effect's offerings also include advanced cyber tools such as "Artemida," a law enforcement platform designed for mass location and behavioral analysis.
Kazdream, Group 42 (G42), Edge Group, Sign41, Beacon Red, Artemida, Triton
Singapore
Founded by former Cyber Security Agency (CSA) official Thomas Lim, the Computer Security Initiative Consultancy (COSEINC) is a Singapore-based cybersecurity firm with extensive spyware and surveillance operations. In November 2021, it was blacklisting by the U.S. Department of Commerce, which cited the company's misuse of cyber tools to gain unauthorized access to information systems. Lim is known for organizing the SyScan security conference, which was sold to the Chinese technology firm Qihoo 360, another sanctioned entity by the U.S. Lim also operates Pwnzen Technology, a Singaporean subsidiary of China's Shanghai Ben Zhong Information Technology (Pwnzen InfoTech). Founded in 2014 by Chinese hackers associated with the Pangu Team, Pwnzen specializes in cyber monitoring and defense on behalf of China's government. The company collaborates closely with Chinese cyber institutions like CNCERT and CNNVD, which is linked to China's Ministry of State Security. Pwnzen is involved in hacking the phone of a Chinese opposition figure to access their social media accounts.
Pwnzen Technology, Pwnzen InfoTech, Qihoo 360, Pangu Team, SyScan conference
United States
CSRA Inc. (formerly SRA International) is a subsidiary of General Dynamics that played a significant role in the U.S. government's immigration surveillance efforts. The company secured major contracts with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to operate the Visa Lifecycle Vetting Initiative (VLVI) program. Under these contracts, which ran from August 2018 through August 2023, CSRA was paid $42.1 million initially, with the total contract value ultimately reaching $101 million. The company's work involved analyzing and exploiting publicly available information, including media blogs, public hearings, conferences, and academic websites, using automated systems to monitor immigrants' social media and online presence.
General Dynamics, SRA International, Praxis Engineering Technologies, NES Associates, GangNet
United States
Founded in 2009 by Chris Bennet, Callyo is a Florida-based provider of surveillance tools for U.S. federal and law enforcement agencies. The company's tools enable tracking of locations, interception of calls, and turning smartphones into covert recording devices - all without the user's knowledge. One of Callyo's unique features is its ability to facilitate international wiretapping without requiring authorization from local authorities. By intercepting calls and routing them through virtual numbers to its servers, the software ensures that investigators can listen to and record conversations undetected. In Massachusetts, the Boston Police Department and State Police have faced scrutiny for using Callyo's app without obtaining proper warrants. An internal audit revealed that Massachusetts State Police had used the app in at least 250 cases without proper disclosure. The company was acquired by Motorola Solutions in 2020.
Motorola Solutions
United States
CalypsoAI, founded by Neil Serebryany, Davey Gibian, and Victor Ardulov, is a developer of AI surveillance and security technology, including the VESPR platform, designed for national security applications. Backed by investors like Hakluyt Capital, CalypsoAI has established itself as an intelligence partner for U.S. government agencies, including the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Air Force. In late 2023, the company joined Palantir's FedStart program, which supports the deployment of advanced AI technologies for U.S. government operations.
Palantir, Hakluyt
Israel
Camero is a leading provider of Sense-Through-The-Wall (STTW) solutions, specializing in the Xaver series of tactical through-wall radar systems designed for military and law enforcement use. These radar-based systems enable continuous monitoring of individuals within a room while operators remain outside. The company was acquired by South Korea based SK Group, a leader in military technology in 2011.
SK Group
Israel
Israeli firm Candiru was founded in 2015 by Eran Shorer and Yaakov Weizman. According to Haaretz, the largest shareholder in Isaac Zack, who has been its chairman since the beginning and was also a founding funder of NSO. In 2021, malware manufactured by Candiru was found on the phones of politicians, journalists, and scholars in Iran, Yemen, Israel, the United Kingdom, and Turkey. Candiru has changed names multiple times, to Grindavik, then DF Associates, then Taveta, then Saito Tech, but it is still commonly known as Candiru. Founded in 2014, is thought to be Israel’s second-largest spyware maker after NSO. With funding from NSO investors as well as the government of Qatar, its systems have been found to have been operated by multiple countries, including Saudi Arabia, Israel, U.A.E., Hungary, Indonesia, and Uzbekistan. In November 2021, the US Commerce Department added Candiru and NSO to its trade blacklist.
Grindavik, Taveta, Saito Tech, Sherlock
United States
Carbyne is a company headquartered in New York, with offices in Israel and Mexico. Founded by Amir Elichai, a former security guard for the Israeli consul general, Carbyne has its roots in Israeli intelligence, with ties to Unit 8200, a division known for its expertise in surveillance operations. Unit 8200 has been criticized for its surveillance activities, which include monitoring Palestinian civilians for coercive purposes and conducting surveillance on Palestinian-Americans through an intelligence-sharing arrangement with the NSA. Carbyne’s platform, marketed as an enhancement for emergency response, allows for extensive data collection from mobile devices and IoT sensors without explicit user consent. When a 911 call is made, Carbyne can automatically access the caller's precise location and video feed from their smartphone, effectively turning personal devices into surveillance tools. This capability is expanded through partnerships with major tech companies like Cisco, enabling the collection of data from smart city infrastructure, such as road cameras and streetlamps, often without the public's awareness. The company's advisory board includes notable figures such as former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, furthering its deep ties to both the U.S. and Israeli security establishments.
Cisco
United Kingdom
CellXion is a UK company that specializes in communications interception technologies. It has sold £1 Million worth of cellphone-spying devices to UK police. The company is one of the leading providers for IMSI catchers (covert communications data capture equipment that can track a phone's location and intercept phone calls and messages.) According to Balkan Insight, CellXion received licenses to supply Serbia with wireless communication interception tools.
Israel
The Israeli intelligence company Cellebrite is best recognized for its flagship product, the Universal Forensic Extraction Device (UFED). This device is renowned for its capabilities: bypassing passwords and encryption to unlock mobile phones and other devices, extracting valuable data, and when used in conjunction with Cellebrite's Physical Analyzer, enabling operators to analyze data thoroughly and generate detailed reports. According to Cellebrite’s parent company, the Japanese Sun Corporation, UFED has been purchased by police, military, law enforcement agencies, and intelligence services in more than 150 countries, commanding a leading position in the global market. A report by Amnesty International reveals that Serbian authorities have utilized Cellebrite tools to unlock the mobile phones of activists and a journalist, subsequently infecting them with malware. With plans to go public, Cellebrite anticipates further expanding its operations and market presence.
FutureDial, Digital Clues, BlackBag Technologies
Canada
Cerebro is a software product developed by Sandvine Inc. (formerly Procera Networks). It is part of Sandvine's network intelligence for broadband and mobile operators. French spyware vendor Nexa Technologies bought Cerebro and sold it to Egypt through an intermediary in the United Arab Emirates.
Sandvine, Procera Networks
France
ChapsVision is a technology company specializing in data processing, with a strong focus on surveillance solutions. It integrates advanced video analysis and artificial intelligence to deliver what it calls "intelligent video surveillance systems." These systems are designed for various applications, including automated tracking of individuals or objects using pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras. Through its ACIC division, ChapsVision customizes solutions for surveillance, public monitoring, and people counting, utilizing a network of cameras and image analysis to automate such monitoring tasks. Through AI-augmented tools, the company also offers an integrated suite of solutions designed to access, gather, monitor, and analyze information from diverse global sources.
Sinequa, Systran, Owlint
United States
Circinus is a defense and intelligence contractor that provided social media monitoring and intelligence for the UAE. Acquired by U.S Republican fundraiser Elliott Broidy from former US Army intelligence officer Alan Stone in 2014, Circinus operated a $200 million contract with the UAE's armed forces. It also maintains contracts with the US Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) and US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Circinus has marketed surveillance and data-mining tools to various government agencies, including in Cyprus, Tunisia, Romania, and the UAE, with pitch documents touting capabilities like identity resolution and social media geolocation. Former Circinus executives, including ex-CIA officers, have capitalized on the company's connections to establish new surveillance and intelligence ventures. Keith Noble, a former Circinus director, now runs BlackCloud International, which markets OSINT tools to governments, including contracts in the UAE and Eastern Europe. Similarly, Nick Williams, another former executive, has launched WMi General Trading in Abu Dhabi.
BlackCloud International, WMi General Trading
Israel
An NSO linked company providing technology that exploits SS7 vulnerabilities to track phones. According to leaked documents, Circles customers can purchase a system that they connect to their local telecommunications companies’ infrastructure, or can use a separate system called the “Circles Cloud,” which interconnects with telecommunications companies around the world. Circles Technologies was founded by Tal Dilian, a former commander of the IDF's Intelligence Corps Technological Units.
NSO Group, Pegasus
Russia
Citadel is a significant player in Russia's telecommunications surveillance industry, known for its development and provision of advanced monitoring and data interception technologies. The company operates in a market heavily influenced by government security services, particularly the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia. It also operates through various subsidiaries that specialize in different aspects of telecommunications and surveillance technology.
MFI Soft
India
ClearTrail enable intelligence agencies to conduct extensive surveillance by intercepting communication data and applying advanced data analytics. One of their primary products, CARBN.AI, is an IP data decoding and analytics platform that automates the processing of vast amounts of data. Its deep packet inspection capabilities provide a comprehensive 360-degree profile, revealing the devices used, web browsing behaviors, accessed communication channels, and more, painting a detailed picture of a a user's digital life. In a trade fair, ClearTrail was advertising attempts to extract information from Signal, such as metadata that can be exploited, but was still unable to break its encryption. ClearTrail also marketed a system called Astra, described as a "remote infection and monitoring framework" with the capability of "non-traceable payload delivery," according to documents published by Privacy International. Once deployed on a computer or mobile phone, ClearTrail's spyware can collect data stored on the device, including location, screenshots, Skype calls, and search history. Among its offerings is ComTrail, a centralized system for mass interception and monitoring of voice and data networks. ComTrail supports the interception of communications across diverse platforms, including Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, BlackBerry, and GSM voice calls, while offering advanced features like speaker recognition, target location, and instant analysis of vast datasets. It is capable of handling millions of communications daily and correlating identities across multiple networks. ClearTrail also markets xTrail, a targeted IP monitoring solution designed for high-speed data interception and analysis. This system can filter communications based on keywords, URLs, IP addresses, or user identities, and it integrates with link analysis tools to provide actionable intelligence. Another tool, QuickTrail, offers tactical Wi-Fi monitoring, enabling the interception of communications in public networks, such as cyber cafes or free Wi-Fi zones, and supports spyware deployment for deeper data extraction. Meanwhile, its mTrail product provides "off-the-air" interception of GSM communications, allowing passive monitoring of voice calls and SMS without network operator support. It also enables target location tracking using signal strength and other identifiers.
ComTrail, xTrail, QuickTrail, mTrail, Astra, CARBN.AI
United States
Using a growing database of over 30 billion images scraped from social media and other online platforms, Clearview AI provides law enforcement and private entities with the ability to identify individuals through facial recognition software. The company has been criticized for privacy violations and the misuse of its technology to track activists and protesters.
China
CloudWalk Technology is an AI company that has developed facial recognition software designed to track and surveil members of ethnic minority groups, including Tibetans and Uyghurs, and alert authorities if too many individuals gather in specific locations. Cloudwalk’s surveillance technology is also used outside of China. In 2018, Cloudwalk and the Zimbabwean government agreed to the installment of a mass surveillance network in Zimbabwe. The agreement included a requirement that the Zimbabwean government send images it acquires from the surveillance network back to Cloudwalk’s offices in China, so that Cloudwalk could improve the ability of its facial recognition software to recognize individuals based on skin pigmentation.
ESWIN Computer
United Kingdom
Cobham is a significant player in global surveillance, with a strong focus on border monitoring and intelligence gathering. The company provides advanced tools for audio, video, and IP transmission, as well as tagging, tracking, and locating systems, which are used for real-time surveillance and data collection. Its Special Mission division provides airborne border surveillance, including contracts with the Australian government for maritime and border monitoring. Cobham also develops covert and overt surveillance systems, such as COFDM IP Mesh solutions and non-line-of-sight video surveillance. Cobham’s systems are integrated into vehicles, allowing for covert and overt surveillance by law enforcement agencies and military operations.
Advent International
Israel
Cobwebs Technologies is an Israeli company whose surveillance software collects data from phones and social media activity, converting it into intelligence. The Los Angeles Police Department is amongst its users. Cobwebs has secured contracts with several U.S federal agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through its Delaware-based branch, Cobwebs America Inc. In 2023, Cobwebs was acquired by PenLink through the support of private equity firm Spire Capital, a year after PenLink had also acquired another surveillance company, GeoTime.
PenLink, Tangles, GeoTime
Israel
Cognyte Software Ltd is an Israeli company that specializes in analytics software and is known to be a notorious surveillance vendor. Cognyte, currently located in Herzliya, Israel, shares an address with Verint and now provides cyberintelligence services similar to those previously offered by Verint. A recent investigation by Haaretz uncovered that Cognyte's mass surveillance technology has been sold to Myanmar in recent years. Its software was also unlawfully utilized by Brazil’s intelligence agency to monitor and intimidate prominent politicians, journalists, judges, and environmental officials in the country during Jair Bolsonaro’s far-right administration. In 2022, Cognyte sold a portion of their intelligence analytics software to the Volaris Group, a Canadian private equity firm, for US $47.5 million.
Verint Systems Inc., U-TX Technologies, Intellicene, Volaris Group
United Kingdom
ComsTrac Limited is a developer of surveillance and interception technologies, including IMSI catchers for GSM/UMTS/LTE networks, passive and hybrid GSM interceptors, and related tools that enable cellular monitoring and tracking. Their official website also markets the Mosaic OSINT suite for "monitoring and manipulating social media" and other online platforms, RF direction-finding systems, and surveillance systems integrated with drones. More specifically, their website boasts of the ability to develop "Trojans and Hacks to invisibly attack targeted iOS, Android and Blackberry handsets plus all Windows format and Mac OS computers. All social media apps such as WhatsApp, Viber, Line and Telegram can be intercepted and read along with all internet browsers, emails and cellular voice and messaging transmissions." ComsTrac is listed among the UK companies authorized to export telecommunications interception technology, including IMSI catchers, to various countries, including those with abysmal human rights records. The company has a subsidiary named Comstrac FZE operated out of Ajman, the United Arab Emirates.
Comstrac FZE
United States
Converus, a private company specializing in lie detection technologies, has developed a product called EyeDetect, which uses eye-tracking technology to assess truthfulness. This tool analyzes subtle changes in eye movement and pupil dilation to predict deception. Converus pitched EyeDetect to the CIA in 2022 for its potential application in border control and migration management. in 2023, Converus launched VerifEye, a smartphone app that extends this technology to mobile devices, enabling self-administered truth verification tests. Converus's technologies have reportedly been adopted by over 600 clients in 50+ countries, including law enforcement agencies.
EyeDetect, VerifEye
Cyprus
Coralco Tech, an Israeli-Cypriot cyber-intelligence firm founded in 2016 by former U-TX Technologies employee Eyal Almog, is a provider of surveillance and cyber-intelligence solutions. Based in Limassol, Coralco offers a wide range of products, including open-source intelligence (OSINT) tools and interception technologies for LTE, GSM, WiFi, and other communication platforms. The company has been linked to controversial activities, including the development of tools with similarities to malware from Wolf Intelligence, such as the WolfRAT, which targeted messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. A command and control panel named Coralco Archimedes, identified in a Cisco Talos report, further suggested ties between Coralco and Wolf Intelligence, though the companies have since parted ways. Coralco has also been involved in international deals, such as using its Singaporean branch to sell phone interception systems to the Bangladesh armed forces, with equipment shipped via Cyprus.
U-TX Technologies, Verint, Wolf Intelligence
United States
Corellium is a cybersecurity company headquartered in Miami, Florida. It sells phone-virtualization software for catching security bugs, and has sold its tools to controversial government spyware and surveillance product developers in Israel, the UAE, Russia, and to a cybersecurity firm with potential ties to the Chinese government, according to a leaked document reviewed by WIRED that contains internal company communications. These documents show that in 2019, Correllium offered a trial of its product to notorious spyware maker NSO Group, with the UAE's DarkMatter also pursued as a potential customer.
NSO Group, DarkMatter
Israel
Corsight AI is a facial recognition technology company headquartered in Israel with operations worldwide. The company specializes in developing facial recognition and surveillance technology powered by what they call "Autonomous AI," which, according to the company, is based on 15 years of neuroscience research and over 250 patents. Their technology is designed to mimic human facial recognition capabilities. Corsight's technology allegedly identify individuals even when less than 50% of their face is visible. It also provides real-time alerts and video analysis and claims to identify people wearing masks. More recently, it was developing technology to create facial models from DNA. Israel implemented a mass facial recognition program in the Gaza Strip using Corsight AI's technology. The system was deployed at military checkpoints along major evacuation routes where Palestinians were fleeing southward, creating an extensive database of Palestinian civilians without their knowledge or consent. The technology faced notable accuracy challenges, particularly when processing grainy footage or partially obscured faces. One significant case highlighting these accuracy issues involved Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha, who was wrongfully detained at a checkpoint in mid-November while attempting to leave Gaza for Egypt with his family. After being flagged by the system as a wanted person, he was held in detention for two days, during which he endured beating and interrogation, before being released back to Gaza without explanation. According to Gizmodo, in 2024 Corsight AI introduced a new surveillance system that monitors "sweethearting" - a practice where retail employees give unauthorized discounts to people they know - by analyzing customer-employee interactions, including physical proximity and visit patterns. The technology, which has already been implemented by unnamed clients, tracks whether customers consistently visit the same employees and triggers security alerts for suspicious patterns.
Cortica
Israel
Corsound AI is a technology company based in Israel that specializes in voice intelligence technologies, sound and facial recognition, audio analytics and artificial intelligence. Corsound AI's clients primarily include government agencies, law enforcement organizations, and security firms that utilize their audio analytics technology for advanced surveillance. Its primary investor is Awz Ventures, whose advisory board and strategic advisors include Dame Stella Rimington, former MI5 Director-General, James Woolsey, former CIA director, Tamir Pardo, former director of the Mossad, and Buck Revell, former FBI associate deputy director.
Israel
Israeli company Cortica, and its subsidiary Corsight AI, has been using facial recognition and Google Photos to conduct mass surveillance of Palestinians without their knowledge or consent. Canadian-Israeli VC firm, AWZ ventures, is among its lead investors. Their tools are also deployed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for facial recognition purposes.
Corsight AI
Denmark
Covidence is a Danish company that develops miniature video and audio surveillance equipment, and which provides tools for remote surveillance over insecure networks. Their products are tailored for use by police forces, intelligence agencies, special forces, and other government-approved organizations, specifically designed for scenarios which require covert data gathering. In 2019, it was acquired by EMK Capital.
EMK Capital
United States
Crimson Hexagon, a Boston-based social media analytics firm, specializes in using artificial intelligence to analyze vast amounts of public social media data, providing insights for clients ranging from corporations like Adidas to government agencies such as the U.S. State Department. Founded in 2007 by Harvard professor Gary King and Candace Fleming, the company has built a repository of over a trillion public social media posts from platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (now X). However, it has faced scrutiny over potential misuse of data for surveillance purposes, particularly in contracts with entities like the U.S. government, the Turkish government, and a Russian nonprofit linked to the Kremlin. Crimson Hexagon became known as Brandwatch after a merger in 2018, and was later acquired by Cision for $450 million.
Brandwatch, Cision
France
Criteo, a French digital marketing company specializing in targeted advertising, has deepened its focus on surveillance-driven data strategies with the launch of its Criteo Innovation Hub in Washington, D.C. A key move was enlisting James Shinn, a former CIA East Asia officer, whose intelligence background signals a focus on advanced data collection and analysis techniques. In 2022, Criteo was hit with a preliminary €60 million (~$65 million) fine by France’s privacy watchdog, CNIL, for violations of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The investigation found that Criteo lacked proper legal bases for its extensive tracking and profiling practices
Criteo Innovation Hub
United States
CrowdOptic is a vision analytics company specializing in advanced triangulation technology that integrates with realtime video systems to improve surveillance and facial recognition. Their products enable the use of fixed cameras, body cams, smartphones, and drones to identify individuals and targets in realtime. In partnership with NEC Australia, CrowdOptic has developed advanced surveillance technology for smart cities. In collaboration, the companies built a system which allows cameras equipped with CrowdOptic software to stream video to servers running NEC’s facial recognition software, enabling the automated monitoring and analysis of public spaces. According to Jon Fisher, founder of CrowdOptic, police in China are using CrowdOptic's technology to read license plates and "identify incidents" more efficiently. The system can instantly track when multiple police officers focus on the same object, providing faster results compared to manually sifting through surveillance camera footage.
NEC Australia, Intel, Sony, Google
Italy
Cy4gate is an Italian company specializing in cyber intelligence. Meta blocked various accounts associated with Cy4gate after uncovering evidence that the company was engaged in deceptive practices, manipulating users to reveal their personal information and conducting reconnaissance activities through deceptive methods, such as scraping information about targets via fake social media accounts with AI-generated profile photos. It has reportedly made sales to the UAE government.
Mubadala, Elettronica Group Company, Leonardo
Macedonia
Employees at CyberLab and other firms founded by the same Israeli nationals, who worked from the same office used by Cytrox and Inpedio in the Macedonian capital of Skopje, and were also involved in Predator’s development. These efforts were part of the offerings provided by Intellexa, a notorious collective that develops and sells spyware.
United States
CyberPoint was listed as a partner to Hacking Team, the Italian company that sold spyware used by repressive regimes across the world. It also has a known presence in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and trains analysts with the Electronic Security Authority, the Emirati intelligence agency.
Hacking Team
India
CyberRoot is an Indian company that develops tracking phishing links and other intrusive software tools for indiscriminate surveillance on behalf of various clients, often law firms.
CyberRoot International Ltd, CyberRoot Risk Advisory Private Ltd, BellTroX Infotech Services Private Ltd
Israel
Cyberbit is an Israeli cybersecurity company that was established as a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, a major Israeli defense company, and which offers a comprehensive solution for monitoring and extracting information from remote PCs. The Ethiopian government targeted Oromo dissidents with Cyberbit's commercial spyware, PC Surveillance System (PSS), renamed PC 360.
Elbit Systems, Eagle
Israel
Cyberglobes, an Israeli open-source intelligence (OSINT) firm, has established itself as a prominent exporter of intelligence solutions despite facing bans from platforms like Facebook due to its spying activities. Led by Pinhas (aka Pini) Kleiner, the company has been expanding its global footprint, recently showcasing its social network monitoring tools at the Digipol policing and defense fair in Hyderabad, India. Cyberglobes has a history in the Indian market, having demonstrated its solutions to Indian police forces as early as 2019. It has also been pitching its social network surveillance technologies to the United Arab Emirates.
Israel
Cyberint is an Israel-based company specializing in cyber-intelligence. Through its Argos digital risk protection platform, Cyberint delivers real-time intelligence by analyzing vast amounts of data from various sources, including the dark and deep web, as well as social media. In August, 2024, Cyperint was acquired by Check Point Software Technologies, another Israeli company in the space.
Check Point
Macedonia
Cytrox is known for developing sophisticated spyware used for cyber intelligence and surveillance purposes. Its products are designed to provide advanced hacking capabilities, enabling clients to infiltrate and monitor targeted devices. The entity is set up by the same Israeli nationals that were involved in developing and then later selling the spyware known as Predator. According to Forbes, Cytrox was acquired by Tal Dilian, a former commander of the Isreal Defense Forces (IDF) and the founder of the Intellexa Consortium, a collective os spyware companies. The technology was incorporated into WiSpear, which provides end-to-end WiFi surveillance solutions for the intelligence market.
WiSpear, Intellexa, Predator
Austria
The spyware developer, officially named DSIRF (Decision Supporting Information Research and Forensic), and operating under the codename KNOTWEED, created the spyware Subzero, which was used to target law firms, banks, and consultancy firms in the UK, Austria, and Panama. According to Microsoft's Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC), DSIRF employed various exploits to compromise systems, including a zero-day privilege escalation exploit for Windows and a remote code execution attack via Adobe Reader. Former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has close business ties to DSIRF, as well as ties to the founder of the NSO Group, Shalev Hulio, whom he co-founded Dream Security with.
KNOTWEED
China
Dahua Technology is one of China's biggest surveillance equipment makers. In February 2024, Dahua Technology announced that it will establish a joint venture with Alat, a newly formed entity owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), to manufacture surveillance hardware in Saudi Arabia. The company's technology has been linked to the abuse of China's Uighur minority and its surveillance systems has also been deployed in the U.S, Vietnam, Mexico, UK and Brazil. Dahua confirmed it sells “skin color” analytics and defended them as “a basic feature of a smart security solution.” A Reuters report revealed that Myanmar's military junta is installing Chinese-built facial recognition cameras in key urban centers to strengthen its surveillance capabilities, with technology provided by Dahua alongside other Chinese surveillance giants, Hikvision and Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.
ABCOM Distribution LLC, Al-Futtaim Engineering and Technologies, Amazon Web Services, Dell, Allianz Parque, Vatican Museums, Alat
Lebanon
Dark Caracal is a sophisticated cyber-espionage operation linked to Lebanon's General Directorate of General Security (GDGS). Discovered in 2018 by researchers from Lookout and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), this campaign has targeted individuals and organizations across 21 countries, including military personnel, journalists, activists, lawyers, and government officials. Dark Caracal employs advanced surveillance tools, such as the custom Android malware "Pallas," which is embedded in trojanized versions of secure messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal, and Threema. These tools enable the extraction of sensitive data, including messages, call records, photos, and account credentials. The operation relies on spear-phishing and social engineering tactics to compromise devices, often directing victims to download malware-laden apps through fake links on platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp.
United Arab Emirates
DarkMatter is now known as CPX. Operating under the codename Project Raven, this cybersecurity firm employed former NSA operatives to conduct hacking and surveillance on behalf of the United Arab Emirates. Their targets included journalists, activists, and political opponents of the UAE government. Interviews with nine former Raven operatives, along with a review of thousands of pages of project documents and emails, show that surveillance techniques taught by the NSA were central to the UAE’s efforts to monitor opponents. The operatives utilized an arsenal of cyber tools, including a cutting-edge espionage platform known as Karma, in which Raven operatives say they hacked into the iPhones of hundreds of activists and political leaders. DarkMatter was founded in 2014 by Faisal Al Bannai, who also created Axiom, one of the largest sellers of mobile devices in the region.
Project Raven, Karma, Axiom, Digital14, CPX
United States
DarkOwl is a cybersecurity company providing tools for dark web intelligence and monitoring. Their platform provides access to a vast database of dark web content, enabling clients to search for leaked credentials, sensitive data, and other details. Its DarkOwl Vision UI has access to a wide range of sources including Tor and Telegram. It also has capabilities for entity-based searches for specific variables like email addresses, IPs, and cryptocurrencies, as well as network-specific filtering to focus on particular darknet platforms, forums or messaging services. Its Dubai-based subsidiary is DarkOwl FZE LLC, which it uses to support intelligence operations by the United Arab Emirates and other governments in the region.
Pegasus Intelligence, Babel Street
United Kingdom
Darktrace is a British cybersecurity company founded in 2013. In Bahrain, Darktrace has partnered with Infonas, a local distribution company owned by former Bahraini foreign minister Hamad Ahmed Abdulaziz Al-Amer. Darktrace's advisory board includes notable figures from the intelligence industry, such as Jonathan Evans, the former head of the UK's MI5. In the U.S, Darktrace had recruited former CIA officer David Mata to support its activities. It has also established a specialized division, Darktrace Federal, to serve the United States Department of Defense, intelligence agencies, and federal civilian organizations. This division employs former members of the US intelligence community who have led cyber operations at the CIA and supported the NSA and Pentagon. Darktrace had also formed a partnership with French spyware firm Nexa Technologies, whose senior executives were indicted for the sale of surveillance software to authoritarian regimes in Libya and Egypt that resulted in the torture and disappearance of dissidents. In October 2024, Thoma Bravo, a software investment firm, completed its acquisition of Darktrace, valuing the company at approximately $5.3 billion.
Nexa Technologies
France
Arms giant Dassault Systèmes, a strategic partner of Thales, sold a mass surveillance system to Egypt in collaboration with Nexa Technologies. In 2017, Ahmed Alaa, a student in Egypt, was imprisoned for 80 days after being accused of posting a photo under a rainbow flag on social media. His arrest was facilitated by a mass surveillance system sold to the Egyptian government by French companies Nexa Technologies, Ercom-Suneris (a subsidiary of Thales), and Dassault Systèmes. This system, which includes internet surveillance software "Cerebro" and phone tapping device "Cortex vortex," allowed the regime to monitor and arrest its opponents.
Thales, Nexa Technologies, Cerebro
United States
DataDirect Networks (DDN) specializes in providing high-performance data storage solutions and data management services, with real-time surveillance and analysis capabilities. Egypt constructed a massive data server in collaboration with the company and intercepted traffic from submarine internet cables connecting the country to Europe for data analysis. This operation was headquartered at the Almaza military base in Cairo.
Italy
DataForense s.r.l. is an Italian company founded in 2013 by Annunziata Cirillo, initially focused on developing forensic tools and invoicing software. In 2015, the company expanded into interception technologies with its Artemide/Spyrtacus project, a spyware system capable of stealthily extracting data from Android and iOS devices. This expansion was further strengthening by recruiting experts from the Italian interceptions specialist IPS Intelligence. According to the Cyber Statecraft Initiative, the company was in liquidation as of 2024.
IPS Intelligence
United States
DataWorks Plus is a South Carolina-based company that provides advanced surveillance technology, equipping police with the ability to identify faces from surveillance footage in real time. One of their flagship products, FaceWatch Plus, offers "continuous screening and monitoring of live video streams," as described on the company's website. This technology was adopted by law enforcement agencies in cities like Chicago and Detroit, enabling real-time identification from live video feeds. Another one of their products, FaceCompare Plus, offers standalone morphological facial comparison, allowing agencies to compare two facial images side-by-side without a full facial recognition system. The use of DataWorks Plus' technology has raised significant concerns, particularly regarding its reliability and potential for racial bias. In Detroit, the police department's use of this facial recognition technology has been criticized for its almost exclusive application against Black people in 2020. The department's own data revealed that the technology frequently misidentifies people, with Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig admitting that the system almost never brings back a direct match and often leads to incorrect identifications. Despite these issues, DataWorks Plus does not provide specific guidance to law enforcement on how to use the software, leaving decisions largely to the discretion of individual officers. This lack of oversight, combined with the technology's unreliability, has led to wrongful arrests and raised serious concerns among human rights advocates about the broader implications for privacy and racial justice.
Thales, Canon, Cognitec, Matica, Integrated Biometrics, Aware, Animetrics
United States
Dataminr is a company specializing in real-time information discovery and which facilitates government monitoring. Dataminr has a relationship with the CIA through its involvement in the CIA's venture capital arm, In-Q-Tel (IQT). In-Q-Tel invests in technology companies that have potential applications for intelligence gathering and "national security." Dataminr received funding from IQT to develop its capabilities in analyzing social media data for intelligence purposes. In March 2024, it was revealed that Elon Musk's X, then known as Twitter, was selling user data to Dataminr.
United Kingdom
Datong, formerly known as Sepura, is a UK-based company that has been involved in distributing surveillance technology, including IMSI Catchers, which can intercept mobile phone data. In 2009, Datong attempted to export an IMSI Catcher, branded "Optima," to an unnamed Asian country. The UK government rejected this export, citing human rights concerns. Datong attempted to do this by serving as a distributor to Cellxion, the manufacturer of the IMSI Catcher. Datong was acquired by Seven Technologies Group on May 10, 2013, for $11.4 million. As of July 9, 2013, Datong plc operates as a subsidiary of Seven Technologies Ltd.
Sepura, CellXion
Estonia
Defendec is an Estonia-based border surveillance technology company. Its main product, Smartdec, provides wireless, AI-powered detection and video surveillance systems that are easily deployable. Smartdec’s network of lightweight, camouflaged cameras and motion sensors provides real-time alerts and visual confirmation of targets. Defendec has secured significant contracts with organizations such asiddl the U.S. Department of State. Even in regions with limited GSM coverage, such as parts of the Middle East or Southeast Asia, Defendec’s CEO Jaanus Tamm highlights the system’s adaptability, using local radio networks as a bridge to maintain connectivity. The company is supported by a network of investors and collaborators who are heavily involved in the surveillance industry, including Rajat Khare, the Indian hacking-for-hire specialist who collaborated with many governments and companies to hack emails and private messages on behalf of clients.
Germany
DigiTask GmbH is a German company that develops surveillance tools and spyware for law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Best known for its controversial "Bundestrojan" (Federal Trojan) spyware, DigiTask provides software capable of intercepting encrypted communications, including VoIP calls, by installing malware on target devices. Their tools include features like keylogging, screenshot capture, remote file access, and the ability to bypass encryption protocols like SSL by intercepting keys on local systems. DigiTask's products, such as the "WifiCatcher," are designed for covert operations, enabling authorities to monitor public WiFi networks and track users across hotspots. The spyware has been described as unsophisticated and easily detectable by cybersecurity experts, as revealed by investigations from groups like the Chaos Computer Club. The company's tools have been sold to various governments, including those in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
Israel
Digital Clues is a company that offers omnichannel intelligence tools, and which shares the same founder with the notorious surveillance firm AGT International, Mati Kochavi. Their technology focuses on kickstarting investigations and surveillance operations by collecting and connecting data when initial clues are scarce or non-existent, including from the "surface web, deep web and dark web." In 2021, it was acquired by Cellebrite, an Israeli digital intelligence company also featured here for its extensive surveillance activities, and whose technologies have been sold to police, military, law enforcement agencies, and secret services in over 150 countries.
Cellebrite, Sun Corporation
United Arab Emirates
Digital14 is carrying on the cyber operations of DarkMatter, which worked under the codename Project Raven. DarkMatter is a cybersecurity firm in Abu Dhabi that employed former NSA operatives to conduct hacking and surveillance on behalf of the United Arab Emirates. Digital14 has recruited engineers like Eric Eifert, former senior vice-president for cyberdefence at the US defence company ‘ManTech’, and Jen Chen, head of ‘xen1thLabs’. Some of DarkMatter’s cyber activities have already been transferred to Digital14 that now distributes the secure communications system ‘Katim’. The firm has also taken over the vulnerabilities research laboratory — xen1thLabs. In 2022, it was integrated into EDGE, a prominent defense conglomerate based in the UAE, and rebranded as "KATIM." The company is now known as CPX.
Project Raven, DarkMatter, KATIM, CPX
United States
DigitalStakeout provides tools for monitoring and analyzing social media, specifically catered to law enforcement agencies. An analysis of the Corvallis Police Department's use of DigitalStakeout over 13 months revealed demographic disparities in flagged social media posts, with a higher representation of Black and Hispanic people. The monitoring tool has been used by police departments and agencies to track hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter.
Russia
Discovery Telecom Technologies (DTT), based in Moscow with offices in Switzerland and Salt Lake City, Utah, specializes in telecommunications interception technology. Wired reports that their AIBIS system (In-Between Interception System) operates by impersonating a cell phone tower to capture nearby signals covertly, enabling operators to eavesdrop and record communications. The company's clientele reportedly includes the Kremlin and the Federal Security Service (FSB), as stated on its Russian website.
AIBIS
Israel
Dream Security is a company co-founded by Shalev Hulio, the former CEO of NSO Group, an Israeli technology firm known for developing sophisticated surveillance tools, including the Pegasus spyware. The other co-founders include Sebastian Kurz, the former chancellor of Austria, and Michael Eisenberg, an Israeli American venture capitalist who is also a general partner of Aleph, a Tel-Aviv-based venture capital firm which participated in funding for Dream.
NSO Group, Pegasus
Switzerland
Dreamlab Technologies, a Swiss company, was involved in a surveillance project in Turkmenistan in partnership with Gamma International GmbH (creators of the FinFisher spyware). Documents leaked by WikiLeaks revealed that Dreamlab helped establish an "Infection Proxy Infrastructure" on Turkmenistan's networks, enabling widespread surveillance. This infrastructure allowed for the infection of devices through fake software updates, file downloads, or website injections, granting full access to personal data, emails, social media messages, and even enabling remote control of microphones and cameras. Dreamlab provided technical services, including network analysis, hardware and software installation, staff training, and system maintenance. The leaked documents suggest the two companies also collaborated for similar interception projects in Oman. According to Intelligence Online, Dreamlab has since diversified its operations, creating new ventures like Slinf, a threat intelligence firm co-founded with German SIGINT experts, which develops tools such as RATspotting for detecting command-and-control servers and CyKnife for open-source intelligence. Dreamlab previously collaborated with German defense group Rheinmetall to create the consulting firm Cyel. In 2019, Cyel was split, with part of its operations integrated into Dreamlab and the rest taken over by Rheinmetall under the name Cyber Works. Dreamlab maintains offices in Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Oman, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Bolivia, Peru, India, Malaysia and Chile.
Gamma International, FinFisher, Slinf, CyTor, CyKnife, Cyel, Rheinmetall, Cyber Works
United Arab Emirates
EDGE, officially known as "EDGE Group," is a prominent defense conglomerate headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE. It was established in November 2019 as part of the UAE government's efforts to consolidate and modernize the country's defense industry. In 2022, it absorbed Digital14, a cybersecurity firm based in the Abu Dhabi and which had resumed the operations of DarkMatter, which operated under the codename Project Raven. Project Raven employed former NSA operatives and other foreign contractors to conduct hacking and surveillance activities, often targeting individuals and entities deemed as threats to the UAE government, such as journalists and human rights activists. In 2024, Edge partnered with the São Paulo State Government on a surveillance project called "Crystal Ball."
Digital14, Project Raven, DarkMatter, KATIM, xen1thLabs
Denmark
ETI is a company specializing in high-tech surveillance equipment. The company developed a system called Evident, which enabled governments to conduct mass surveillance of their citizens' communications. In 2011, BAE bought ETI and the company became part of BAE Systems Applied Intelligence. Freedom of information requests submitted by the BBC and the Dagbladet Information newspaper in Denmark revealed exports to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Morocco and Algeria.
BAE Systems, Evident
Canada
EXFO is a company that sells surveillance technology, including IMSI catcher software and related hardware, to government agencies. Their product, NetHawk, is capable of monitoring traditional mobile networks as well as LTE, can track phones’ locations and intercept texts and calls, and is small enough to fit inside a backpack or shoulder bag. EXFO has exported its products to countries such as Bosnia, Oman, Indonesia, Mexico, Serbia, Morocco, Colombia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, and Macedonia. The company is headquartered in Quebec, Canada and has other corporate offices in Montreal and Oulu, Finland. It also has offices in the U.S, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Singapore, China and India. EXFO is a public company which received funding from the government of Canada.
NetHawk
Germany
Elaman GmbH is a German-based company that specializes in providing advanced surveillance and intelligence solutions to government agencies and law enforcement worldwide. Founded with a focus on equipping authorities with monitoring tools, Elaman has become a significant player in the global surveillance industry. The company offers a wide range of products and services, including communication interception, data extraction, and analysis tools designed to monitor, intercept, and analyze various forms of electronic communication. Elaman is known for partnering with other surveillance technology providers, including Gamma Group, to offer other spyware and sophisticated surveillance tools like the FinFisher suite. Elaman sold the spyware FinSpy to Turkey, which used it to spy on opposition figures, as well as to the government of Indonesia.
FinFisher GmbH, FinFisher Labs GmbH, Gamma Group
Israel
Elbit Systems is a leading military tech exporter in Israel, specializing in various advanced surveillance technologies, deployed in space, air, sea and ground operations. Its surveillance systems, drones, and other high-tech tools, which are used in violent military operations and in high demand worldwide.
C4I and Cyber, Elisra Ltd, Elop, IMI Systems Ltd.
Israel
Founded in 2009 by Nir Gabay and Roee Kash, Elsight is a company specializing in advanced communication technologies, particularly known for its innovative surveillance drones. These drones are designed to provide real-time data transmission for various applications, including "defense." Since October 7th, 2023, there has been a notable increase in demand for Elsight's systems from different defense entities. However, the company's management is unwilling to be transparent about this uptick in sales. They indicate that the heightened interest has a growing emphasis on military and defense applications, a trend expected to persist moving forward. "Military organizations worldwide have recognized the value of integrating cellular infrastructure for diverse operational uses," the company stated in an interview with Haaretz. Elsight has integrated its Halo connectivity platform with Lockheed Martin’s Indago 4 quadcopter uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV).
Lockheed Martin
Italy
Endoacustica Europe, headquartered in Bari, Italy, is a provider of surveillance technologies. Their product lineup includes high-performance International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers, which enable the detection and tracking of mobile devices by emulating legitimate cell towers, compelling nearby mobile phones to connect and capturing their IMSI numbers. This is used by law enforcement and intelligence agencies in monitoring and intercepting mobile communications. According to its official website, Endoacustica's products are generally utilized by government agencies, law enforcement bodies, and security organizations requiring mobile surveillance and communication interception capabilities. These products include spy micro cameras, mini WiFi 4G IP Umts cameras, video surveillance drones, cellular spy, spy earphones, as well as various gadgets for related activities.
Spain
Epsilon is a Barcelona-based cybersecurity company specializing in developing exploits and targeting the American market. Founded by a group of elite researchers formerly linked to the Australian firm Azimuth, which was acquired by U.S. defense contractor L3Harris, Epsilon is led by a French researcher Jeremy Fetiveau (who used to work for L3Harris Trenchant) and also involves two Israeli partners, the founders of Bindecy, a lesser-known Israeli spyware firm. Epsilon focuses on creating spyware tools tailored to the needs of intelligence agencies and law enforcement, specifically for clients demanding exclusive, custom-built solutions rather than off-the-shelf spyware.
Azimuth, Bindecy, L3Harris
Israel
Equus Technologies is an Israeli company behind an advanced spyware, known as "Lipizzan," designed to steal users' data. The company offers custom solutions for law enforcement, intelligence agencies, and national security organizations. According to Google researchers, Lipizzan is a multi-stage spyware capable of monitoring and extracting a user’s emails, SMS messages, location data, voice calls, and media files. Google identified 20 Lipizzan apps, which were distributed in a highly targeted manner to fewer than 100 devices. In response, Google has blocked both the developers and the apps from the Android ecosystem. Besides malware, the source reported that Equus Technologies also offers app and cloud interception technology packaged as portable devices. These devices, which can be carried in backpacks, are designed to connect to nearby cellphones and steal passwords along with other sensitive personal data. At least one employee of Equus Technologies is a former staff member of NSO Group, the notorious Israeli malware vendor. After their exposure in numerous reports in 2017, the company rebranded its name to Merlinx.
Lipizzan, NSO Group, Merlinx
France
The administration of Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi bought surveillance technologies from the French cybersecurity company Ercom in 2014.
Thales
Israel
Evron Systems Ltd is an Israeli company that provides advanced communication systems, security systems, control, and multimedia solutions. It has been involved in developing surveillance technologies, including facial recognition software called Aureus 3D-AI, which can analyze still and video footage using 3D technology and sophisticated algorithms. This software can perform extensive facial comparisons at high speeds. Evron is the Israeli representative and distributor for On Net surveillance System Inc. (OnSSI). Among its clients are the Israeli military. The company is privately owned by Meron Abraham and Sidis Aharon.
OnSSI
United States
FaceFirst, also known as Airborne Biometrics, is a developer of facial recognition and surveillance technologies, providing automated face-matching systems for use in retail, airports, stadiums, military bases and at border checkpoints. Its facial recognition technology has increasingly been deployed in retail stores without customer knowledge or consent. The system scans shoppers' faces as they enter stores, comparing them to databases of "dishonest customers" or "known shoplifters." The system also delivers customizable alerts and notifications to any device or workstation upon detecting a person of interest. The company claims to offer military-grade facial identification that seamlessly connects to a large central database tailored to the specific needs of the end user. In 2022, FaceFirst welcomed Edwin Coello, a former leader of the NYPD Real Time Crime Center, to its team.
Airborne Biometrics, Samsung
Israel
FalcoNet is a surveillance technology developed by the Israeli firm Cognyte, designed as a cell tower simulator capable of intercepting and collecting data from mobile phones. It functions as an airborne system, deployable on manned aircraft like helicopters or fixed-wing planes, and is used to gather unique identifiers from phones, intercept unencrypted communications, and jam normal signals to force devices to connect to its artificial station. The State of Florida purchased this technology for $793,000 as part of Operation Vigilant Sentry, aimed at surveilling migrants, particularly from Haiti.
Cognyte
China
The Falcon system, developed by Semptian, is primarily designed for tracking the location of targeted cellphones rather than intercepting calls or texts. Similar to the Stingray devices used by U.S. law enforcement, Falcon operates within a nearly 1-mile radius and can pinpoint the location of cellphones with high precision, up to 5 meters accuracy. When activated, Falcon emits signals that compel nearby mobile phones and other cellular devices to connect to it, revealing their exact locations. Falcon includes a smaller, pocket-sized device that can be used by agents on foot to track cellphone locations even more precisely, narrowing down to within 1 meter. This technology enables authorities to conduct targeted surveillance and locate specific individuals within urban or densely populated areas.
China
FiberHome, officially known as Nanjing FiberHome StarrySky Communication Development Company Ltd., develops spyware for use by the Chinese authorities. Its Fengcai app is forcibly installed on tourists' smartphones at border crossings in the East Turkistan (renamed Xinjiang by China) region. This spyware collects extensive personal data, including text messages, contacts, call logs, calendar entries, and installed apps, and transmits it to remote servers for analysis. The app also scans for content flagged as suspicious, such as religious materials, writings in Arabic, or documents related to the Dalai Lama, among other flagged items.
Fengcai app
Israel
Founded in 2014 by former Mossad member Doron Cohen, Fifth Dimension became a leading producer of surveillance technology with the backing of notable figures such as former IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, who served as the company's chairman, and former Mossad deputy head Ram Ben-Barak. The company's systems are employed to analyze vast amounts of data, including social media activity, to identify potential security threats and prevent incidents before they occur. The company specializes in predictive policing tools and advanced data analysis, including sophisticated data processing techniques to identify patterns and correlations based on mass surveillance data. Fifth Dimension collaborated with the Israel Police on a project involving artificial intelligence for law enforcement purposes. This partnership, which did not go through a tender process, involved a pilot program costing about 4 million shekels ($1.1 million) and concluded in 2017. The initiative was described as a "game changer" by Police Chief Roni Alsheikh. However, Fifth Dimension ceased operations due to U.S. sanctions on one of its investors, Viktor Vekselberg, which affected its primary market in the U.S. The company ceased operations in December 2018, after an unsuccessful acquisition bid from NSO Group. At its height, Fifth Dimension had secured $40 million in funding and employed 100 people.
Germany
FinFisher, also known as FinSpy, is surveillance software developed by Gamma Group, an Anglo-German technology company specializing in surveillance and monitoring solutions. FinFisher has been used by various governments and law enforcement agencies around the world for surveillance purposes. The software is designed to monitor and intercept communications, gather intelligence, and track individuals' activities. FinFisher is known for its comprehensive surveillance capabilities, which include: remote access, data extraction of information such as emails, SMS, files, and browser history, real-time monitoring of communications and online activities, keylogging to capture passwords and other sensitive information, microphone and camera activiation to record audio and video, as well as geolocation tracking. Gamma Group dissolved its FinFisher unit in 2014, but several German companies have since sold the spyware.
FinSpy, FinFly, Gamma Group, Gamma International GmbH, Lench IT Solutions plc
Australia
Fivecast is a company that develops AI-powered software used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to analyze online content for potential threats. Utilizing artificial intelligence, Fivecast's software detects sentiment and emotion in social media posts and recognizes objects in images and videos. It also scans for "risk terms and phrases" across multiple languages, gathering data from both major social platforms like Facebook and Reddit, as well as smaller communities like 4chan and Gab. CBP has spent millions on Fivecast's technology, which they use to monitor individuals they believe may pose risks to public safety, national security, or lawful trade and travel. Fivecast's tools are capable of mapping out networks of connections and tracking persons-of-interest starting with minimal information, as demonstrated in their promotional materials. Fivecast is headquartered in Adelaide, Australia. The company was co-founded in 2017 by Brenton Cooper, Duane Rivett, Ross Buglak, and David Blockow. Fivecast has a strong connection to the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which includes agencies from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The company's tools have been developed in consultation with law enforcement and intelligence agencies from these Five Eyes nations, optimizing their software to meet the specific requirements of these agencies for monitoring and analyzing online threats.
Five Eyes Alliance
United States
FlexiSPY is a commercial spyware application that offers "stalkerware," a form of monitoring software which enables a remote user to track activities on another user's device, such as location data, call logs and messages. It is most often used to monitor an individual without their knowledge, consent or permission. Its website markets extensive features such as keylogging, browsing activities, GPS tracking and geofencing, call recording and interception, as well as all activities and messaging on Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Skype, Viber, Telegram, Tinder, and other applications.
United States
Flock Safety is a technology company that specializes in providing advanced surveillance solutions. Their products include Flock Camera, which are high-definition cameras placed to capture clear images of vehicles entering and exiting neighborhoods and which utilize automated license plate recognition (ALPR) technology to identify and log vehicle data, as well as AI-powered audio detection systems. They also feature FlockOS in their suite of products, which integrates first and third-party data from video, license plate recognition (LPR), and audio detection to provide real-time intelligence through advanced search, a customizable map and other options. In 2024, Flock Safety acquired drone startup Aerodome for over $300 million. This acquisition allows Flock Safety to broaden its reach into autonomous police drone surveillance.
Axon, Aerodome
United States
Fog Data Science, a data broker, sells location data about individuals to law enforcement agencies, obtained from thousands of apps on Android and iOS app stores. The company's web application, Fog Reveal, provides detailed histories of people's lives, selling access for less than $10,000 per year. In the U.S alone, Fog has past or ongoing contractual relationships with at least 18 local, state, and federal law enforcement clients. Fog's service allows for "pattern of life" analyses, revealing an individual's daily routines and habits. The service can execute broad searches, such as gathering device IDs for everyone in a specific area. The company also uses a "Project Intake Form" that requests detailed information about persons of interest, including their medical provider locations, and harvests location data from smartphones through apps and advertising systems. Critics, including former law enforcement officials, have expressed alarm over the tool’s ability to track individuals in private spaces, such as homes, without judicial oversight. The company was founded in 2016 by two former Department of Homeland Security officials, Robert Liscouski and Matthew Broderick, who served under President George W. Bush.
United Kingdom
G4S is a British multinational security services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It provides a wide range of security-related services, including manned guarding, electronic security systems, and monitoring services. G4S has been involved in providing surveillance tools for Australia's offshore immigration detention centers, such as those on Manus Island. It has also provided surveillance equipment and services to Israeli checkpoints, prisons and police stations in the West Bank and Gaza. G4S has been responsible for managing and providing surveillance equipment at several immigration detention centers in the UK, such as Brook House and Tinsley House, which suffer from staff abuse, neglect, mistreatment of detainees, and poor living conditions. In 2021, Allied Universal acquired G4S for $5.28 billion.
Allied Universal, Allied Universal Security Services LLC, G4S Secure Solutions, Hashmira, Argenbright Security, Securicor, Ronco Consulting Corp., AMAG Technology, Wackenhut, Total Security Services
Ghana
GMEA Group is a prominent African conglomerate headquartered in Ghana. They provide various surveillance technologies, including IMSI-catcher tools, which intercept mobile phone traffic and track user location data. These devices function as "fake" mobile towers, enabling interception between a mobile phone and its service provider's actual towers, facilitating man-in-the-middle attacks.
Redmango, Geronimo, Quantum Security Solutions, GDS Africa, Fleet Force, CIS Ghana, PortingXS, ImeiXS, Mobius Technologies, Moto Co Limited
Italy
GR Sistemi, an Italian company founded in 2002, has ventured into the online surveillance market in the last decade, although its history primarily lies in selling GPS trackers and traditional wiretapping services to law enforcement. GR Sistemi's entry into the spyware market has been marked by significant blunders and reliance on repurposed code. Their Dark Eagle spyware, which can hack into Skype and Messenger communications, contained blatant links to the company's website and utilized code from an open-source remote access tool, AndroRAT, which was identified by BitDefender.
United States
Gaggle is a Dallas, Texas based company that provides ongoing AI-powered surveillance in schools. The students' digital activities are closely monitored for indicators of certain behaviors. This surveillance includes homework, emails, photos, and chats, with alerts potentially leading to interventions that include police involvement. In some schools, Gaggle was integrated into all school-issued Chromebooks, working with Google services such as Gmail, Google Docs, Google Slides, and Google Sheets. Whenever students type something, Google's auto-save feature activates, automatically routing the saved content through Gaggle for monitoring. As of May, 2024, Gaggle is currently in at least 1,500 K-12 districts in the U.S.
United Kingdom
Gamma Group is a U.K.-based firm that provides surveillance software to governments around the world. Among their products was FinFisher, also known as FinSpy, spyware marketed by Lench IT Solutions plc on Gamma Group's behalf.
Lench IT Solutions plc, Gamma TSE, G2 Systems, Gamma International GmbH, Elaman Alliance, FinSpy, FinFisher, FinFly
France
Gatewatcher is a cybersecurity firm specializing in advanced threat detection and network surveillance. Its tools, like Trackwatch, use machine learning and behavioral analysis to monitor and analyze network behavior. In 2024, Gatewatcher strengthened its collaboration with Saudi Arabia as part of the Franco-Saudi partnership on cybersecurity. The company provides advanced multi-vector detection technologies to the Saudi government. Gatewatcher has also been embroiled in controversy due to legal allegations against its founder, Philippe Gillet, who has been accused of hacking and orchestrating violent attacks amid a dispute with former business partner Franck Berezay.
AlJammaz Technologies
Lithuania
Gedion is a company headquartered in Lithuania which produces audio surveillance and location monitoring technology. In 2023, Gedion partnered with Pegasus Intelligence, a technology broker based in Dubai, to provide advanced surveillance equipment to primarily government clients in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC.)
Israel
General Robotics Ltd. (GRL), based in Hod Hasharon, Israel, specializes in developing advanced robotic systems for military and defense applications. One of its products, "Pitbull", can be mounted on various platforms for remote surveillance activities. It was acquired in March, 2022 by the American company Sig Sauer, one of the world's leading arms, ammunition, and optical sights companies.
Canada
Genetec is a prominent provider of surveillance technology, supplying law enforcement with a range of invasive monitoring tools. Their offerings include video management systems, automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) software, and real-time crime center (RTCC) analytics to expand police surveillance networks. Genetec also leads a program to facilitate the process for law enforcement agencies to request and retrieve footage from private cameras. In 2017, Genetec developed the Citigraf platform specifically for the Chicago Police Department (CPD), one of the largest police forces in the U.S., to help manage and analyze their extensive data collection. Powered by Microsoft Azure, Citigraf integrates information from surveillance sensors and database records, using both real-time and historical data to generate calculations, visualizations, and alerts that provide CPD with "deep situational awareness." Microsoft is collaborating with Genetec to advance this platform with a "correlation engine" designed to interpret surveillance data more effectively. In 2016, the city of Detroit in Michigan launched Project Green Light, which uses Genetec Stratocast and Microsoft Azure to stream surveillance footage from local businesses and other entities to the Detroit Police Department. Microsoft has long provided facial recognition services to law enforcement through its extensive partnerships with Genetic and similar companies.
Microsoft, Flock Safety
Israel
Genieo Innovation, formerly called Anabel Software, is an Israeli company that specializes in developing software often categorized as adware, grayware or malware. In 2014, Genieo was acquired by Somoto for $34 million.
Anabel Software, Somoto
United States
Geofeedia was hired by California police departments after pitching its ability to identify civil rights protesters, according to an American Civil Liberties Union report. Without public hearings or civilian oversight, the Oakland Police Department has used it to conduct surveillance on large public gatherings, possibly including political protests.
United States
Ghost Robotics is a Philadelphia-based company that specializes in the development of advanced robotics systems, particularly focused on legged robots. Ghost Robotics' robots, like the Ghost Minitaur and others in their lineup, are equipped and utilized for surveillance purposes. The Israeli army has been using the company’s robots in Gaza, according to news reports in Haaretz and other sources. Its Vision 60 Quadrupedal Unmanned Ground Vehicles (Q-UGVs) have been deployed by the U.S. military for various applications. The U.S. Air Force has utilized these robotic systems at Tyndall Air Force Base and during Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) exercises. In 2024, Ghost Robotics entered a "strategic partnership" with South Korea's LIG Nex1, which acquired a 60% controlling stake in the company for $240 million.
LIG Nex1
Egypt
Giza Systems is a partner of Nexign, formerly known as Peter-Service, a Russian company that specializes in providing software and services for telecommunications companies. According to its website, Nexign’s products have been delivered to 12 countries and includes the surveillance company Protei as a partner. In a press release, data collection is listed as one of the services that will be provided as part of the partnership between Giza Systems and Nexign.
Nexign, Protei, Peter-Service
United States
Glimmerglass was a U.S.-based technology company that built optical networking products, including technology that facilitates the interception of undersea fiber-optic cables. These cables form the backbone of global internet communications, carrying vast amounts of data across continents. Glimmerglass has reportedly provided systems capable of monitoring and analyzing internet traffic, including services like Facebook, Twitter and Gmail. Their technology included 3D MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) solutions, which allow for the interception and duplication of light signals transmitted through fiber-optic cables. This enables agencies to capture the full content of communications, not just metadata, for intelligence purposes. The company has acknowledged that its systems are deployed in multiple countries for "lawful interception" under anti-terrorism laws. Its tools are marketed as providing intelligence agencies with full control over massive flows of data, including the ability to analyze communications in real time. Confidential materials from Glimmerglass have demonstrated its ability to map social networks, monitor webmail, and even listen to phone calls. The company reportedly shut down in 2019.
IPS/RESI
United States
Gravy Analytics is a company that provides location intelligence and data analytics services. It's the parent company of Venntel, which sells smartphone location data, including to U.S. government agencies. It provides detailed location data that can help law enforcement agencies understand patterns of movement and behavior in specific areas. In 2023, Gravy Analyrics merged with Unacast, a company that uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to provide location intelligence products. In January 2024, hackers claim to have breached the company. The hackers allege they have stolen sensitive data such as customer lists, industry information, and precise location data from smartphones, threatening to release it publicly.
Venntel, Unacast
United States
Graylark Technologies is the developer of a tool called GeoSpy. According to 404 Media, GeoSpy is a powerful AI tool capable of geolocating photos within seconds by analyzing features such as vegetation, architecture, and building distances. Initially accessible to the public, the tool has since been restricted to law enforcement and government agencies after concerns arose about its misuse, including stalking. GeoSpy has drawn attention for its ability to simplify complex geolocation tasks that typically require years of expertise, making it accessible to users with minimal training.
GeoSpy, Maltego
United States
Grayshift, an American company best known for its tools to unlock encrypted mobile devices, has reportedly supplied its technology to Belarusian authorities to hack into locked mobile devices, aiding the Belarusian government in its extensive surveillance operations. These measures include real-time video monitoring systems and direct access to communications data.
United Arab Emirates
Group 42, more commonly known as G42, is a UAE-based artificial intelligence whose staff include former members of DarkMatter, which was staffed by former NSA operatives who conducted hacking and surveillance on behalf of the United Arab Emirates under the codename "Project Raven." Human rights advocates and journalists are often targeted. Among them was G42 CEO Peng Xiao, who for years ran DarkMatter’s Pegasus program. In 2021, three former U.S. intelligence and military officials admitted to providing sophisticated computer hacking technology to the UAE while working at DarkMatter. The firm has established a joint venture with state-owned Israeli defense company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. G42 has been linked to surveillance through its acquisition of UAE’s Botim app, which is officially promoted as a secure messaging and VoIP platform but has been reported to facilitate government monitoring of users' communications. Botim was developed by Algento, a private American technology company headquartered in San Francisco, California. The company operates subsidiaries in Dubai (Algento DMCC), Beijing (Beijing Aojintuo), and Hong Kong (Algento Cloud Computing Limited).
AIQ, Bayanat, Core42, Hayat Biotech, Khazna Data Centers, M42, Presight, NSO Group, Project Raven, DarkMatter, Astra Tech, Algento
China
H3C Technologies, also known as New H3C, is a joint venture originally established between Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE) and China-based Unisplendour Corporation, a subsidiary of the state-owned Tsinghua Holdings. H3C's technology is deeply embedded in China's extensive surveillance system. The company has developed an internet protocol (IP) telephone network for the Xinjiang Public Security authorities, a key component of the region's repressive monitoring network. This system integrates mobile apps, biometric data collection, artificial intelligence, and big data to monitor and control the activities of millions of Uyghurs in Xinjiang. H3C also sells internet firewall products.
Intel, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), 3Com
Hong Kong
HK Medsourcing is a company that sells International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers, an intrusive technology used to locate and track all mobile phones that are switched on within a specific area. It operates by masquerading as a mobile antenna, which tricks nearby phones into connecting to it. A significant concern with IMSI catchers is their frequent secret deployment, often lacking a clear legal foundation and the safeguards and oversight mechanisms that international human rights law mandates for other surveillance technologies.
United States
HSS Development, formerly known as Homeland Security Strategies, is a New York-based intelligence and security technology provider offering surveillance products, including IMSI Catcher systems. According to Intelligence Online, it supplied surveillance technologies to clients such as Niger's Armed Forces (FAN) and Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). HSS markets its products through subsidiaries like GCom Tech, a surveillance technology distributor, and Commtrol, a jamming systems provider.
GCom Tech, Commtrol
Italy
Hacking Team is an Italian company known for selling surveillance tools and spyware to police and intelligence agencies around the world. Hacking Team’s marquee product, Remote Control System (RCS), can be deployed using exploits to a target’s computer or cell phone, with the ability to track an individual’s movements, log their keystrokes, and even activate their computer camera. Hacking Team's former chairman, Paolo Lezzi, became the owner of Memento Labs and its parent company, InTheCyber, to continue developing surveillance software marketed to repressive regimes worldwide.
Memento Labs, InTheCyber, RCS
United Kingdom
Hakluyt & Company is a London-based intelligence agency known for its discreet operations and high-level clientele, including multinational corporations and governments. The firm is notable for its ties to the intelligence community, as it is staffed predominantly by former officers from agencies such as MI6, the CIA, and other elite intelligence organizations. In 2001, BP and Shell were called out for hiring Hakluyt to spy on Greenpeace activists. In 2021, Hakluyt opened a subsidiary in Dubai called Hakluyt & Company (Middle East) FZE.
MI6, CIA, BP, Shell
United States
Hawk Analytics is the developer of CellHawk. Widely used by law enforcement agencies, private investigators, and legal teams, CellHawk processes extensive datasets from cellular providers, including call detail records (CDRs), location data, and tower dumps, to create detailed maps of individuals' movements, relationships, and communication patterns. Its capabilities extend to analyzing ride-hailing and GPS data, offering features like animation tools to visualize movement and alerts for specific geofenced areas. The software has been employed in high-profile cases, such as tracking phone activity in investigations tied to Donald Trump’s legal battles. Trump's team used CellHawk to analyze phone records of a prosecutor, revealing thousands of calls and texts, and mapping their locations.
CellHawk
China
The HawkEye device, developed by Semptian and sold to governments, is a portable surveillance platform that integrates advanced facial recognition technology. It is designed to be deployed in various locations to establish what the company calls a "temporary surveillance scene." HawkEye operates by scanning individuals as they pass by its camera, capturing images of their faces in real time. These images are then compared against extensive databases containing millions of photographs. If a match is found with a person of interest or a suspect in the database, HawkEye triggers an alert, notifying authorities immediately.
China
Chinese authorities are using a mobile app for mass surveillance of Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang. The app is developed by Hebei Far East Communication System Engineering Co. Ltd (HBFEC). The app collects personal data, biometrics, and tracks "suspicious" behavior. It is linked to the Integrated Joint Operations Platform (IJOP), which monitors personal relationships and detects "irregularities." The IJOP system is developed by state-owned China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, (CETC), a major state-owned military contractor in China.
China
HiSilicon is a subsidiary of China’s Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. which sells chips with advanced capabilities for surveillance cameras. It is one of the world’s most dominant chipmaker in the surveillance camera industry.
China
The Chinese government uses Hikvision's AI-enbaled technology for mass surveillance and racial profiling. Beginning in 2016, authorities installed tens of thousands of Hikvision surveillance cameras in Ürümqi to monitor every movement of the largely Muslim Turkic minority population of the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwestern China. The company was found to have received at least $275 million in government contracts to build surveillance in the region and has developed AI cameras that can detect physical features of Uyghur ethnicity. With over 600,000 Hikvision networks, the United States has the second-highest number of the company’s cameras, just after Vietnam. In 2019, the US passed a bill banning Hikvision from holding any contracts with the federal government. A Reuters report revealed that Myanmar's military junta is installing Chinese-built facial recognition cameras in key urban centers to strengthen its surveillance capabilities, with technology provided by Hikvision alongside other Chinese surveillance giants, Zhejiang Dahua Technology and Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.
Pyronix Ltd
China
Hocell is a company that provides surveillance tools, including a Drone-Mounted IMSI Catcher, a Portable IMSI Catcher and a Vehicle-Mounted IMSI Catcher, that can search and track cell phones as well as locate targets by identifying their IMSI numbers. The company is headquartered in Shenzhen, China.
Israel
Hola VPN is widely speculated to be spyware by independent reviewers. It logs all of your online activity, shares your information, and doesn’t encrypt your connection.
United Kingdom
Hugslock is a surveillance technology company that developed the iNTACT (Intelligent Access Cover & Support System), a monitoring system disguised as ordinary manhole covers. Their system incorporates capabilities such as infrared surveillance and motion detection. The company made its first major deployment in Saudi Arabia, shipping 60 iNTACT units as part of a smart city project.
China
I-Soon is a Shanghai-based cybersecurity vendor with government ties. Reports suggest that it carried out global attacks on a series of high-value government targets and dissidents in 2021 and 2022, in part by breaching WiFi networks and devices.
United States
IBM used New York's CCTV cameras footage without public knowledge to develop surveillance software. The software can search for individuals based on age, gender, and skin tone. IBM's video analytics software was first acquired by the NYPD through Microsoft subsidiary Vexcel in 2007 and began testing in 2010. By 2012, IBM was testing the software on the bodies and faces of New Yorkers to improve its search functionality. The NYPD says it stopped using IBM’s technology in 2016, and IBM did not respond to a request for comment on whether or not they're deploying similar technology in other cities or countries.
France
IDEMIA, formerly known as Morpho, is a French multinational for advanced biometric and predictive analytics technologies often used for surveillance purposes. Its Traveler Analytics Suite is used to analyze passenger data, such as Passenger Name Records (PNR), at international borders. In the United States, IDEMIA provides products to various federal and state government entities and is the leading provider in the issuance of driver's licenses. The company owns IdentoGO, which operates hundreds of storefronts offering electronic fingerprint capture and other identity-related services. The ACLU of Massachusetts reported that IDEMIA released a new video analytics product called Augmented Vision, enabling cameras to analyze people and their movements in real-time. The system includes algorithms capable of recognizing faces, silhouettes, vehicles, number plates, and various objects. Notably, its automated "access control system" can identify a "person of interest," provide direct alerts, and automatically deny that person access to specific areas. According to Amnesty International, its facial recognition technology was sold to the Shanghai Public Security Bureau, contributing to China’s extensive surveillance infrastructure, including systems targeting Uyghurs and other minority groups in East Turkestan (renamed to Xinjiang by China.)
SITA, Otono Networks, PCARD, XCore Technologies, IdentoGO, Morpho Security System (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.
Italy
IPS (Intelligence Positioning Solutions) is an Italian company specializing in the development and provision of advanced communication monitoring tools and GPS tracking. IPS caters specifically to Homeland Security Departments and Intelligence Agencies, providing capabilities for intercepting, collecting, and extensively analyzing diverse data types. These include phone calls, Internet traffic, data from electronic surveillance devices, and information sourced from third-party databases. Their operations cover a wide range of online platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, X (formerly Twitter) and GitHub. A customer in Tunisia leveraged IPS's services to conduct phishing and social engineering attacks, including IP tracking, demonstrating how the surveillance-for-hire firm provides a full spectrum of tools for invasive surveillance.
Cyprus
InReach was set up as a business entity in Cyprus for the sole purpose of promoting QuaDream’s surveillance products outside of Israel. QuaDream is an Israeli company that specializes in the development and sale of advanced digital offensive technology to government clients. The company is known for its spyware marketed under the name “Reign”, which, like NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware, reportedly utilizes zero-click exploits to hack into target devices.
QuaDream
Spain
Indra has been involved in providing surveillance and border control technologies that have been criticized for their potential use in oppressive and discriminatory practices, particularly in regions with stringent controls on migration and dissent.
United States
Infinova Corporation, headquartered in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, is a global provider of advanced surveillance technologies, including CCTV systems, IP cameras, facial recognition systems, deep-learning algorithms, multi-angle recognition and AI-driven analytics. It's heavily involved in China's expansive surveillance programs, such as the "Sharp Eyes" platform and projects in regions like Xinjiang to target Uyghurs. Infinova deleted all articles about its Xinjiang projects from its Chinese website, though IPVM (The Authority On Physical Security Technology) retained copies. Infinova has also been involved in major mass surveillance projects globally, including in countries like Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Mexico, India and the UAE.
Shenzhen Infinova Limited, March Networks
Canada
Canadian armoured vehicle manufacturer Inkas is a provider of surveillance and interception technologies through its Aerospace & Defense division, established in September 2021. This division markets a comprehensive catalogue of advanced interception systems, including Wi-Fi interception tools, IMSI-catchers, geolocation systems, and other interception products. Inkas also has partnerships in Israel, where it collaborated with former Unit 8200 officer Eyal Avidov to expand into electronic systems integration and platform-mounted electro-optical systems. The company has supplied surveillance-enabled armoured vehicles to police forces in Nigeria, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and beyond.
India
Innefu Labs, an Indian cybersecurity and artificial intelligence company, has faced scrutiny for its involvement in surveillance technologies and alleged links to spyware attacks. Amnesty International uncovered connections between Innefu Labs and the Donot Team, a notorious hacker group responsible for targeting activists with spyware. This spyware, used in attacks on a Togolese human rights defender, could access sensitive data, including photos, files, and encrypted messages. The company also provides the facial recognition software AI Vision, used by police in several Indian states for surveillance purposes, including during protests. This technology, which incorporates gait and body analysis, has sparked debates about privacy and the potential for misuse in monitoring dissent. Their clients include the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Border Security Force (BSF) in India.
AI Vision