Cellebrite, a prominent provider of phone hacking tools, has come under scrutiny for the alleged misuse of its tools in Serbia, Jordan, and Kenya. Last year, Cellebrite suspended sales to the Serbian police following accusations of hacking into the phones of a journalist and an activist. However, the company chose not to investigate similar claims that surfaced in Jordan and Kenya, deviating from its previous stance.
According to a report by the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, Cellebrite’s tools were used by the Kenyan government to unlock the phone of activist Boniface Mwangi and by the Jordanian government to access the phones of local activists and protesters. This scrutiny was based on the discovery of a specific Cellebrite-linked application on the victims’ phones, indicating potential tool usage.
While Cellebrite has been urged to address these concerns directly, the company’s response remains guarded, with a spokesperson emphasizing the need for evidence-based claims. This scrutiny highlights the challenges faced by tech companies providing tools that can be repurposed for surveillance and raises questions about accountability and oversight in the digital security sector.
Source: TechCrunch