Electronic surveillance

European companies reportedly sold spy tools to help build Syria's surveillance system

Following the Arab Spring, the Syrian government, between 2007 and 2012, reportedly collaborated with several European companies to develop projects dedicated on building nationwide communications monitoring systems, aimed at comprehensively spying on its citizens. Leaked documents reveal that the government-owned Syria Communications Establishment (STE) called out for firms specialising in providing spy tools and services to help monitor all internet data flow in Syria, according to reports.

Leaked documents of an STE tender reveal that the government sought to monitor servicesincluding, email, web browsing, chat rooms, VOIP calls, the use of VPNs and more. The Syrian government sought to work on a surveillance system, officially called "Central Monitoring System for Public Data Network services and Internet."