UK Government Invests in Surveillance Tech Despite Concerns Over Palestinian Rights

Alanbatnews -

London is under scrutiny for investing in surveillance technology developed and tested on Palestinians, despite public objections to Israel's actions and international criticism of the conflict in Gaza.

The British government has purchased spyware from Israeli firms Cellebrite and BriefCam. It had previously acquired facial recognition technology from Corsight, which is used to monitor Palestinians at checkpoints.

These acquisitions come despite the UK's stated concerns regarding the conflict and the annexation of the West Bank.

Cellebrite, closely linked to the Israeli military, develops software to bypass security protocols on devices to access data. Reports indicate the Israeli army has used this software against Palestinians, gathering data from detainees, many of whom have allegedly been subjected to torture. The company has also received support from the U.S. Department of Defense for technology aimed at mapping tunnels in Gaza.

British police forces have purchased access to Cellebrite's software. The City of London Police renewed its contract with the company for over 95,000 pounds (approximately $128,600 USD) in June. Leicestershire Police renewed its contract in March for 328,688 pounds (approximately $445,300 USD). The British Transport Police, the Serious Fraud Office, Kent and Essex Police, and Northumbria Police have also entered into agreements with the company.

The UK Home Office, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, and the UK police commercial service Blue Light Services have not responded to inquiries regarding these contracts.

Victor Cooper, Director of Corporate Communications at Cellebrite, declined to comment on specific client relationships but denied the company's activities constituted “hacking.” He stated that the solutions are used as “criminal tools in legally authorized investigations” and require physical possession of the device.

Rights groups have expressed concerns about the export of Cellebrite's technologies to countries with “repressive regimes,” including Myanmar, Serbia, and Belarus, alleging that the technology has been used to extract information from dissidents, journalists, and activists.

BriefCam has been providing surveillance software to Cumbria Police since at least 2022. The company provides video synopsis programs to law enforcement, governments, and corporations. Its platform allows police forces and private companies to filter and condense hours of surveillance footage. The software can filter footage based on characteristics including gender, age, clothing, and movement patterns.

BriefCam's system includes tools for facial recognition and license plate recognition, allowing police to create watchlists. This technology has been used in Jerusalem. Cumbria Police stated they are not currently using the facial recognition capabilities.

According to files reviewed by the research center Who Profits, a tender document published by the Israeli Ministry of Construction and Housing sought companies to bid for maintenance contracts for 98 security systems in East Jerusalem, stipulating that the winning bidder must be able to maintain BriefCam software. Israeli records indicate that in 2021, the Israeli police committed to a $1 million contract to use BriefCam's video analysis systems.

A report by Amnesty International documented how surveillance technology, such as that provided by BriefCam, has been a tool in maintaining Israel's subjugation of Palestinians. The report stated that the use of surveillance software is critical in maintaining the “continued domination and oppression of Palestinians… with a record of discriminatory and inhumane acts that maintain a system of apartheid.” The report asserted that Israeli authorities can use facial recognition software to entrench discriminatory policing practices and restrict freedom of movement, violating Palestinians' basic rights.

Concerns have also been raised regarding the use of Corsight technology. The UK Home Office selected Corsight, through a subcontract with British firm Digital Barriers, to play a key role in expanding “facial recognition vans,” mobile surveillance units equipped with high-resolution surveillance cameras linked to live facial recognition software.

Prior to the British government's selection of Corsight, The New York Times reported that concerns about the company’s facial recognition technology in Gaza led some members of the Israeli army to object to its use by Unit 8200, the Israeli cyber intelligence branch.

Additionally, British ministers are facing calls for stronger safeguards on the use of facial recognition technology after the Home Office acknowledged that the technology is more prone to misidentify Black and Asian individuals compared to white individuals in certain settings.

Following tests by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) on the application of this technology within the Police National Database, the Home Office stated that it is “more likely to falsely include some demographic groups in search results.” Police and crime commissioners stated that the NPL’s findings “highlight an inherent and worrying bias” and urged caution regarding national expansion plans for the use of this technology.