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OBJECTIVE |
Develop basic knowledge about different types of surveillance Consider the purpose of surveillance Identify actions HRDs can take to protect themselves |
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TIMING |
75 minutes - more if you show the podcast |
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TIME BREAKDOWN |
Introduction - 10 minutes Film - 10 minutes Discussion - 40 minutes Individual work - 10 minutes Concluding remarks - 5 minutes |
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MATERIALS NEEDED |
Link to the 10-minute animated film |
Module 18: Surveillance
When planning and facilitating this session, it is important to consistently apply an intersectional lens to each participant's identity and experiences, and their protection needs. Overlapping systems of discrimination and privilege, such as gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, racial and/or ethnic origin, economic status/class, marital status, citizenship, age and physical appearance, can have a profound impact on human rights defenders' and their communities' perception of and experience with risks and protection.
General note for trainer:
This session is most suitable for HRDs working in situations where there is a low to medium risk of surveillance. If the HRD participants are already experiencing surveillance, the facilitator should adapt the questions to utilise their experiences, deepen the analysis and diversify the tactics.
Note: This is a basic introduction to surveillance for HRDs. It is not a detailed guide to counter-surveillance. To develop the ability to identify and evade sophisticated surveillance requires in-depth training; poorly conducted anti-surveillance measures can put HRDs at more risk.
Introduction:
You are going to watch a 10 minute animated film about the surveillance of a HRD. This film was commissioned and produced by Front Line Defenders for use at workshops.
In the post-film discussion we are aiming to cover the objectives (above).
When watching this film, although you do not know the exact context and risks faced, consider the following questions:
- Why do you think this HRD is under surveillance?
- Who do you think has ordered this surveillance?
- What is the likely purpose of the surveillance?
- What types of surveillance are being used (note each incidence)?
- When should this HRD have considered the threat of surveillance?
- What tactics can a HRD use to protect her/himself and others in a situation when surveillance is a threat?
Discussion:
The facilitator manages the discussion of the questions (see session notes below)
The facilitator asks if any of the participants have been under surveillance, what the context was and what tactics they chose.
Individual Work:
Each participant should consider what implications this session has for them and what actions are needed to be taken and/or included in their personal and/or organisation's security plan.
Closing:
The facilitator sums up key points, including:
- Importance of knowing your context (including your knowledge of measures taken by your opponents against other HRDs in your country / region) will determine your assessment about what may / may not happen if you come under surveillance
- Don't wait until you come under surveillance to think about how to deal with it – then it could be too late (eg setting up encryption only after your computer has been hacked).
- Put in place protection measures now, including clear policies and plans on:
- Information: including what is sensitive information and how it should be stored
- Contacts: who are sensitive contacts; who needs to know who they are; most secure method to communicate with them
- Security Incidents: including what you should do if you suspect or can confirm that you have come under surveillance - Ultimately if you are not sure if you are under surveillance or not, you should assume that you are and act accordingly.
Note that a sophisticated surveillance operation against you may be completely undetectable.
Session notes for trainer:
1) Why do you think this HRD is under surveillance?
- Their work is challenging powerful interests which have the resources to monitor them. They are about to publish a report which will embarrass the government. It is most likely that they have been under surveillance for some time.
2) Who do you think has ordered this surveillance?
- In this case, probably the government or government agents acting without authority. But in different contexts perpetrators could also be radical groups or criminal gangs.
3) What do you think is the purpose of the surveillance?
- The purpose will be one or more of the following:
a) to gather information (about the network of contacts, access to information, objectives, plans, movements, and the HRD's vulnerabilities)
b) to control the actions of HRDs***
c) to intimidate HRDs
d) to have enough information to close down the HRD's network
e) to determine an HRD's whereabouts prior to an arrest, abduction or other type of attack
In this case, purposes (a), (d) and (e) seem most likely
The purpose of surveillance can change depending on the information gathered. If it seems you are a bigger threat than was expected, the purpose can change from (a) to (d) and/or (e).
The increase in surveillance at the end of the film illustrates that if surveillance increases and becomes overt, it is often a clear indicator that an arrest or attack is imminent.
4) What types of surveillance are being used?
- Physical surveillance by operators – note that, as in life, they are definitely not stereotypical – who try to look normal in the context (including street sweeper, woman on the bus, woman outside office with a pram)
- racking device on car
- Phones bugged (in the office and / or contacts of the HRD, the bugging probably carried out by (or with assistance from) the telecommunications company,
- Computer hacked (a) virus sent in attachment which Director downloaded and (b) by 'telephone engineer'
- Camera and/or microphone in table light in meeting room
- Colleagues could be informers (eg the mobile phone on the table at the meeting could be a microphone)
- Direct sound surveillance (through window in meeting room from nearby rooftop)
- Tracking by satellite, silent planes, drones could be a possibility
- Finally, microphone in key fob in café
5) When should this HRD have considered the threat of surveillance?
6) What do you think this HRD should do to protect her/himself and others?
Spyware
More recently Pegasus spyware developed by the Israeli cyberarms firm, NSO Group Technologies, has been used to target HRDs and political figures. This spyware can be installed on ios and Android phones and is capable of reading text messages, tracking calls, collecting passwords, mobile phone tracking, accessing the target device's microphone(s) and video camera(s), and gathering information from apps. See podcast: 'Watched and Monitored: Protecting HRDs from Surveillance' (Season 2, Episode 9); and see also: 'Pegasus Project Q&A'
