Western Tech Firms Help Authoritarians Crack Down

An Italian company called “Hacking Team” has been caught selling surveillance systems to governments including cyber weapons to Sudan.  Information was stolen from the company, Hacking Team, by hackers.  The firm is Milan based and is listed on Reporters Without Border’s Enemies on the Internet list for its alleged sale of cyber tools to repressive regimes. They have also been stonewalling an investigation from the UN. The firm rejects the statements and says that it has never done business in Sudan. One of the leaked spreadsheets however, marks Russia and Sudan as “not officially” supported.

A July 2012 record shows a 480,000 euro invoice for selling surveillance software to Sudan. The UN arms embargo on Sudan bans the export of “arms and related material” to the country. In 2014, Citizen Lab, identified almost 21 countries that were potential clients of Hacking Team, the list included Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Sudan, Russia, and UAE.

The attack on Hacking Team was carried out by an unknown hackers, who released the 400GB of documents on file sharing website, defaced the company’s twitter account, and replaced the company’s logo to read “Hacked Team.” In the US, agencies using Hacking Team’s tools include the FBI, the DEA, and the Department of Defense.

Earlier in the year, the Obama administration announced the decision to loosen certain sanctions on Sudan’s government. The decision drew criticism, with many stating that the newly allowed sale of communications hardware and software would allow Sudan to gain surveillance on citizens. Following the decision, the State Department released a statement saying that they “believed the tools [would] promote freedom of speech, help Sudanese communicate more easily with each other, and allow them to be more connected digitally to the global community.”

Back in February, Sudanese Foreign Minister, Ali Karti, traveled to the US on unofficial business while attending events in Washington. Around the same time, Ibrahim Ghandour also traveled stateside to meet with the US special envoy to Sudan. After noting that Karti traveled to Charlotte, it was assumed that he had gained a multi entry visa and had a broad range to enter the US. That is significant because before Karti was promoted to Prime Minister, he lead the Popular Defense Force, Sudan’s military which directed the genocides in Darfur, Blue Nile, and Nuba Mountains.  The Obama administration has softened toward Sudanese government since lawyer Ben Fisher, who is a campaign donor to both President Obama and Hilary Clinton, was hired to advise the Sudanese government. Many objected to the visits to the United States, stating that Karti’s presence here did not make sense as it was a reward and not a punishment for the ongoing violence.