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The nodes within a TSG cluster are centrally managed through a system known as Central Management (CM), which is also identified by its former internal designation, Bifang (毕方).14 This system provides both a web interface and an application programming interface (API) for the interaction and configuration of all of the TSG hardware being used to run the firewall.15 TSG-OS Geedge’s software development practices are distinctly modern. TSG utilizes an operating system known as TSG-OS, which has been developed internally by Geedge Networks. This operating system is based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux and employs the Open Network Install Environment (ONIE) for initial provisioning. TSG-OS is built using a modern DevOps toolkit, incorporating Ansible for deployment and declarative configuration, while various components of TSG are containerized using Docker and K3s (Lightweight Kubernetes). This architecture signifies a substantial departure from the practices of many established Western networking vendors, whose codebases often contain decades of legacy complexities.. Founded in 2018, Geedge Networks offers software that is distinctly modern in comparison. It is noteworthy that TSG-OS can also function on standard commodity hardware or as a virtual appliance. For example, in the initial operations in Pakistan, TSG-OS was deployed on repurposed ActiveLogic hardware from the Canadian company Sandvine. This company had previously come under scrutiny and faced sanctions from the United States government for providing deep packet inspection technology to authoritarian regimes, including Egypt. With Sandvine having cleaned up its practices in 2024 and the sanctions lifted, Geedge Networks may have recognized a business opportunity to offer an alternative operating system and support contracts for regimes affected by sanctions. Geedge moved into the Pakistani market and helped them reduce costs by repurposing the pre-existing hardware from Sandvine. We go into this in more detail in the Pakistan deployment section below. Image Caption:   This is a diagram found in the leak related to Geedge’s deployment in Pakistan. PCAP, MSH and TWA are the three data centers where Geedge’s system is deployed. The diagram shows that TSG-OS was installed on ActiveLogic hardware from the Canadian company Sandvine.

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The Internet Coup A Technical Analysis on How a Chinese Company is Exporting The Great Firewall to Autocratic Regimes

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English

Topic

Digital Rights
Digital Surveillance
Internet Connectivity / Accessibility
Internet Restrictions

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INTER SECLAB

Date Published: Sep 9, 2025

Abstract: Over the past two decades, the Chinese government has been steadily refining their model of internet control using surveillance and censorship technologies domestically while promoting this approach to other nations under the banner of “digital sovereignty”. Through the export of these technologies, China is not only extending its global influence but also laying the foundation for a federated system of internet governance. In this system, Chinese companies provide the infrastructure and expertise for client governments to more easily monitor and control their own networks, while learning from these deployments and improving collective capacity for digital authoritarianism worldwide.

This research by InterSecLab uncovers evidence of the export of a suite of technologies resembling China’s Great Firewall by Geedge Networks, a private company linked to the academic entity ‘Massive and Effective Stream Analysis’ (Mesalab), a research laboratory at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Our team’s investigation identifies a pattern of commercialization of surveillance capabilities, with Geedge Networks offering a suite of products that enable comprehensive monitoring and control of internet users.

InterSecLab’s analysis reveals that Geedge Networks is contracted with governments in Kazakhstan, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Myanmar, and one other unknown country to establish sophisticated systems of internet censorship and surveillance. Furthermore, our findings indicate that Geedge Networks is also involved in developing similar systems deployed within China, including in Xinjiang and other regions.

Based on analysis of a leak of more than 100,000 Geedge Networks documents that was shared with InterSecLab, this research sheds light on the features and capabilities of Geedge Networks’ systems, which include deep packet inspection, real-time monitoring of mobile subscribers, granular control over internet traffic, as well as censorship rules that can be tailored to each region. The leak also reveals information about Geedge Networks’ relationship with the academic entity, Mesalab, as well as their interactions with client governments. The implications for data sovereignty are significant, and our findings raise concerns about the commoditization of surveillance and information control technologies.

This research examines the recent development of Geedge Networks’ systems in various countries, including what is known about their deployment timelines. By analyzing the company’s internal documentation, InterSecLab was able to chronicle the expansion of commercially available national firewalls and speculate about the implications for the future of the global internet considering the spread of such systems.

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Myanmar Internet Project

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The Internet Coup A Technical Analysis on How a Chinese Company is Exporting The Great Firewall to Autocratic Regimes

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