SOFIA, June 19 (BV) – Bulgaria approved exports of surveillance and mobile phone tracking technologies to intelligence and security agencies in several countries, including Serbia, Azerbaijan, Malaysia and Mexico, according to documents cited in a report by Human Rights Watch.
The documents indicate that Sofia-based company Circles BG, linked to Israel’s NSO Group, received export licenses between 2018 and 2023 for systems capable of intercepting communications, tracking mobile devices and supporting broader surveillance operations.
NSO Group is best known for developing Pegasus, spyware that has been linked to the surveillance of journalists, political opponents and human rights activists around the world.
According to the report, Serbia’s Interior Ministry purchased a portable mobile-phone tracking and location system worth about $18,000 in 2023, several months before parliamentary elections in the country.
Documents also show that Azerbaijan’s foreign intelligence service acquired server and communications equipment valued at more than $42,000, while security institutions in the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Bahrain, Brazil, Morocco and Mexico were listed as end users of surveillance-related technologies.
Human Rights Watch said the documents do not prove that the exports were illegal or that the equipment was used unlawfully. However, the organization noted that several recipient countries have faced longstanding allegations of using surveillance technologies against journalists, activists and political opponents.
Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry said all export requests had been assessed in accordance with European Union regulations and that submitted documentation indicated the systems were intended for crime prevention, counterterrorism operations, and search-and-rescue activities.
“When reviewing export applications, all relevant circumstances are taken into account, including end-user documentation and information obtained through official channels,” the ministry said.
Rights groups argue the case raises fresh questions about how EU member states implement export-control rules for cyber-surveillance technologies.
The findings come as the European Commission prepares a review of EU dual-use export regulations, with proposals for stricter controls on surveillance-related technologies expected before the beginning of 2027.
According to Human Rights Watch, the Circles BG case highlights the growing difficulty of distinguishing between commercial telecommunications equipment and technologies that can be used for mass surveillance of citizens.