Key facts
- Bulgaria licensed exports of surveillance equipment to countries with documented human rights violations between 2018 and 2023.
- The firm Circles, based in Bulgaria, sold tools capable of tracking phones and eavesdropping on communications.
- Approved transactions included law enforcement and intelligence agencies in Azerbaijan, Bahrain, El Salvador, Guatemala, Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco, Panama, Serbia, and the UAE.
- Circles' technology can reportedly exploit mobile phone system weaknesses to surveil targets using only a phone number.
- Human Rights Watch called for tighter EU enforcement of laws restricting surveillance technology exports to rights violators.
The Bulgarian government licensed exports of controversial surveillance technology to countries with poor human rights records between 2018 and 2023, according to reports from Human Rights Watch and Citizen Lab. The firm Circles, based in Bulgaria and affiliated with NSO Group, sold tools capable of tracking mobile phones, eavesdropping on private communications, and monitoring internet activity.
Export records obtained by Human Rights Watch show that the Bulgarian government approved transactions between Circles and law enforcement and intelligence agencies in at least 15 countries. These include Azerbaijan, Bahrain, El Salvador, Guatemala, Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco, Panama, Serbia, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Israel, and Mexico.
Citizen Lab's report highlights that Circles' technology reportedly exploits weaknesses in the global mobile phone system, allowing surveillance using as little information as a telephone number. This capability could enable repressive government agencies to track targets across borders without the cooperation of telecommunication companies.
Human Rights Watch urged EU institutions to strengthen enforcement of laws designed to restrict the export of surveillance technology to destinations where there is a credible risk of human rights violations. The organization noted that the European Commission has evidence of EU governments issuing such licenses without adequate human rights due diligence.