Contd. Identifying VPNs and Circumvention Tools
blocked.
This
seems
to
violate
a
fundamental
principle
of
non-retroactivity
of
the
law.
Additionally, Geedge Networks products are able to identify specific individuals as known
VPN users. Once those known circumvention tool users move to a new provider that is not
yet blocked, Geedge Networks can watch the users’ traffic and use the trail they leave to
identify the new VPNs to block in the future.
Expanding digital authoritarianism through
regular OS updates
Clients are able to request features and capabilities for Geedge Networks to prioritize for
new versions of the surveillance software. When Geedge Networks make these software
updates available, every client government can take advantage of these new capabilities.
New capabilities that Geedge Networks seems to be discussing and testing include DDoSfor-hire
services,
change
SIM
as
cards
well
or
as
call
the
ability
to
international
construct
numbers
relationship
frequently,
graphs,
and
flag
create
users
who
geofences
for
specific users.
No built-in legal or ethical guardrails on sharing
and use of data
InterSecLab found no evidence that Geedge Networks enables features that allow for audit
logging to understand how their products are being used (and potentially abused) or to
understand
countries,
how
the
internet
systems
users’
are
personal
deployed
in
data
secret
is
being
and
stored
lack
or
shared.
accountability
In
all
client
mechanisms
for
public oversight of their use.
Significant implications for data sovereignty
The system relies on remote management by Geedge Networks employees in China, which
has troublesome implications for national data sovereignty. Internet user data from each
country
appears
to
be
accessible
to
Geedge
Networks
employees
and
shared
with
students at Mesalab, the research laboratory at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. These
students use samples of this data for product development and research aimed at better
understanding and obstructing internet censorship circumvention. The duration this data is
retained for Geedge Networks and Geedge Networks affiliates remains unclear.
Designed for interoperability with commercial hardware
vendors, making targeted sanctions more challenging
Geedge
Networks
sanctions.
Their
seems
to
have
designed
products
are
built
to
be
their
products
interoperable
with
for
a
resilience
wide
range
to
targeted
of
hardware
vendors. The products are vendor agnostic in terms of other network equipment that might