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Contd. ISP Denial of Geedge Hardware and a Focus on VPN Blocking Image Caption:   An image extracted from Geedge Network’s dataset shows the Network topology for Frontiir Yangon datacenter, where Geedge’s hardware is integrated with the ISP’s network infrastructure. The leaked documents also contain detailed information on blocking VPNs, Tor (especially the Tor-powered mobile app Orbot), and Psiphon. Myanmar’s wish-list of VPNs to block is longer than the lists of VPNs to block supplied by some of the other client states, like Ethiopia or Kazakhstan. The documents include a record of the development of rules to block “high-priority apps”, which includes 55 apps for blocking, among them the messaging apps Signal and WhatsApp.67 This is noteworthy, as Geedge develops these blocking rules rather than the client countries. This is likely not the case with most competing products. The outsourcing of “rulemaking” may be a selling point to some clients who may not want to engage directly in blocking rules for specific social media applications, VPNs, and websites. The deployment of Geedge's surveillance technology in Myanmar highlights the military junta's reliance on digital tools to maintain control over the population. The implementation of the system in 2023, just two years after the coup, shows Geedge’s ability to exploit the country's existing infrastructure and their willingness to expand the junta’s monitoring capabilities. Leaked documents reveal a level of sophistication in Geedge's system, including its ability to block VPNs and attempts to block Tor, underscoring the company's willingness to adapt its technology to meet the needs of repressive governments. The March 2025 earthquake in Myanmar exposed the devastating consequences of internet shutdowns and restrictions on communications, when these shutdowns hindered emergency rescue efforts and contributed to preventable deaths.68 This is an alarming example of how Geedge Networks' system, paired with an authoritarian government, can hinder humanitarian responses.

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

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