An Amnesty International report has found that Israeli-linked companies are selling invasive spyware and surveillance technology to Indonesia.
Report finds Israeli-linked companies selling invasive spyware and surveillance technology to Indonesia [Getty]
At least four Israeli-linked companies have sold invasive spyware and cyber surveillance technology to Indonesia, a report by Amnesty International's Security Lab has revealed.
The investigation, based on trade records, shipping data and internet scans, revealed links between public and government agencies in Indonesia, a country that has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel.
Connections between Indonesia, the world's most populous Islamic nation, and Israeli companies such as NSO, Candiru, Wintego and Intellexa date back to at least 2017.
“Highly intrusive spyware tools are designed to be covert and leave minimal traces,” Amnesty International said in its report, adding that there is little transparency about the targeting of systems. Ta.
“This built-in secrecy can make it extremely difficult to detect cases where these tools have been illegally misused against civil society, creating deliberate impunity for rights violations. “There is a risk,” Amnesty International added.
The report found numerous spyware imports by Indonesian companies and state agencies, including the Indonesian National Police and the National Cyber and Cryptography Agency, between 2017 and 2023.
Amnesty International reported that Indonesian police declined to respond to inquiries about the findings, and the National Cyber Cryptography Agency had not responded by the time of publication.
This is not the first time Indonesia has been linked to Israeli spyware, with a 2023 report finding traces of NSO's Pegasus spyware used in Indonesia.
In 2022, Reuters reported that more than a dozen Indonesian government officials and military personnel were targeted by Israeli spyware in the previous year.
According to the Amnesty International report, much of the spyware used required individuals to click on a link that directed them to a website.
The website imitated legitimate news outlets and politically critical organizations.
Indonesia currently has no laws regulating the legal use of spyware and surveillance technology, and “civil space is shrinking as a result of continued attacks on freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association.” Therefore, the findings of this study raise concerns. Amnesty International said.
Amnesty International is calling on the Indonesian government to ban highly intrusive spyware.