Following a Human Rights Watch report detailing the sale of espionage tools to serial human rights abusers, the tech company publicly congratulated its authoritarian clients on their robust IT infrastructure.
SOFIA, Bulgaria — Following a scathing Human Rights Watch report detailing the sale of sophisticated espionage tools to serial human rights abusers, Bulgaria-based surveillance company Circles publicly congratulated its authoritarian clients on their flawless, enterprise-wide deployment of the phone-tracking software.
The report, which revealed that Circles has been actively equipping repressive states with technology capable of eavesdropping on private communications and geolocating mobile devices, was met with enthusiasm at the company’s Sofia headquarters. Executives reportedly praised the implicated dictatorships for their robust IT infrastructure and their commitment to utilizing the software’s complete feature set without letting judicial oversight slow down their daily workflow.
According to a press release issued by the firm on Tuesday, Circles views the global outcry over its business practices as a testament to the reliability of its product. The company highlighted several unnamed regimes for achieving unprecedented "daily active user" metrics by seamlessly integrating the mobile interception technology into their domestic policing operations.
We build enterprise-grade network solutions, and it is incredibly validating to see a client leverage our SS7 exploitation suite to its absolute maximum potential.
Vankov noted that while traditional corporate clients often let expensive software licenses go to waste, repressive state apparatuses are highly motivated power users. He pointed out that the ability to intercept SMS messages and track the real-time movements of dissidents has resulted in a 300 percent increase in customer retention, a metric the company plans to highlight in its upcoming quarterly earnings call.
Human Rights Watch researchers warned that the technology bypasses standard telecommunications security, allowing governments to monitor journalists and political opponents merely by knowing their phone numbers. In response, Circles published a B2B case study demonstrating how a streamlined user interface and dedicated 24/7 technical support helped one prominent regime round up a historic number of activists before the end of the fiscal year.
At press time, Circles was reportedly finalizing a premium subscription tier that offers repressive states a dedicated account manager and early access to beta tools for infiltrating encrypted messaging apps.