Tracking Deployment of Russian Surveillance Technologies in Central Asia and Latin America
Several countries in Central Asia and Latin America almost certainly base their digital surveillance capabilities on Russia’s System for Operative Investigative Activities (SORM), indicating that Russian surveillance technology has proliferated in Russia’s near abroad and among its allies. Insikt Group identified evidence of at least eight SORM providers exporting to these regions, with at least fifteen telecommunications companies as likely customers. The largest Russian SORM providers like Citadel, Norsi-Trans, and Protei, export and participate in trade expositions across Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, highlighting efforts to further expand globally. While these systems have legitimate security applications, the governments outlined in this report have a history of misusing surveillance capabilities , including repression of political opposition, journalists, and activists, without effective or independent oversight.