Waterloo, Ont. tech company responds to surveillance, spyware allegations
A Waterloo, Ont. tech company has responded to allegations it supplied technology that was used for mass surveillance and censorship.
In September, CTV News Kitchener reported on Sandvine's deals with autocratic governments, including Egypt, where its tech reportedly helped inject spyware into the devices of government critics.
After the first story, Sandvine posted a statement on its website saying it was acquired by a group of U.S. investment firms and listed several changes in consultation with the U.S. Department of Commerce and other key members of the U.S. government.
"It seems like it's a bit of a typical response. We are going to invest in digital rights, we are going to stop selling to the countries in question. We are going to try and rebuild trust," said cybersecurity and technology analyst Ritesh Kotak, referring to some of Sandvine's promises.
In the company statement, Sandvine lists several "transformative changes" which includes dedicating one per cent of all profits to protecting digital rights, new ownership and a new name.
The company's statement also says in part: "We acknowledge past misuse of Sandvine's products, as well as the fact that the company's response to past reports of misuse was insufficient."
Sandvine says they have already exited 32 countries and are in the process of exiting an additional 24 where the democratic process is in question.
They've identified an end-of-service date of March 31, 2025 for government of Egypt customers.
As for remaining Egyptian customers and all other identified countries, December 31, 2025 is the end-of-service date.
"It looks good on paper, but who is going to be doing the checking? How are we to know that they will be following these guidelines into the future?" said Ron Deibert, director at The Citizen Lab, an internet watchdog based at the University of Toronto.
After the lab published a report on Sandvine's tech in 2023, the Waterloo-based company was placed on the U.S. Department of Commerce entity list, which prevented Sandvine from doing business south of the border.
"It's kind of sad, as a Canadian I have to say, that it took the United States' action to precipitate these measures," said Deibert. "The Canadian government is asleep at the wheel, frankly, when it comes to export controls of this type of dual-use technology."
CTV News Kitchener asked Global Affairs Canada about repeated calls for tighter export controls on technology. They acknowledged our request but were not able to provide comment in time for publication.
"However, it's also important to understand that, yes, Canada is a big market. The U.S. is a much bigger market. If the U.S. puts you on any sort of list, that has massive repercussions for an organization, probably in comparison," said Kotak.
There is also concern from critics about whether Sandvine's promises are performative, especially considering their history.
"This is a company that, when asked questions by groups like ours, has been quite aggressive," said Deibert. "In fact, threatening The Citizen Lab and myself with litigation at one point."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most Americans believe abortion should be legal, at least in most circumstances, but it's still a flashpoint issue in JD Vance's home state
Abortion is a flashpoint in the upcoming American election, even as polls in the U.S. show most people support reproductive freedom. Abortion rights advocates tell CTV News that when candidates take a stance on that, it could influence a decision at the polling station– especially for women on who they want elected.
'2032 is not good enough': Kelly Craft says Canada has to spend faster on defence if Trump wins
A former U.S. ambassador says Canada needs to spend more on defence, and do so faster than the federal government's currently planning to, to meet the expectations of its NATO allies.
Weekend warriors have the same risk of mild dementia as more frequent exercisers, study suggests
People who only exercise on weekends have a similar risk of developing mild dementia to those who work out more frequently, a new study has found.
She got on a plane to find the guy she fell for at Oktoberfest. ‘I’m going to go and find my ginger’
Mandy Suess was so certain the red-haired man she met at Oktoberfest was special that she got on a plane to go and find him
'It’s a dream come true': Holt, Liberal cabinet sworn-in to office
Susan Holt, the province's first female premier, and 18 cabinet ministers took the oath of office in the chamber of the legislative assembly.
Alberta Premier Smith gets 91 per cent support in leadership review
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith received a dominating 91.5 per cent vote of support from her United Conservative Party members in a scheduled leadership review vote on Saturday.
Live from New York: Harris making surprise 'Saturday Night Live' appearance with election looming
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris has made an unannounced trip to New York to appear on an episode of 'Saturday Night Live,' briefly stepping away from the battleground states she’s been campaigning in with just three days to go before the election.
Multiple RTDNA wins for CTV News, including 2 for W5
CTV News won four national news awards and a local news award from RTDNA Canada, the organization announced Saturday night at a gala event in Toronto.
2 people charged in Toronto incident that left police horse and officer injured were out on bail, police say
The driver of a pickup truck who allegedly struck a police horse and rammed several cruisers on Queen Street West on Friday afternoon was out on bail at the time of the incident, Toronto police say.