Police use spyware from Israeli firm Cellebrite to hack phones. But does this powerful surveillance tool threaten our own national security?
It’s the modern detective’s dream: a skeleton key for any smartphone. When a case hinges on data locked inside a device, surveillance technology from companies like Israel’s Cellebrite offers a way in. British police forces are spending millions on these tools. But the very power that makes them so effective also makes them a profound threat to privacy, a tool for oppression, and a startling vulnerability at the heart of our national security.
This isn’t just about pulling a few incriminating texts. The technology performs a complete digital dissection of a person’s life, copying everything: every email, photo, video, and call log. It goes deeper, recovering deleted messages and digging into hidden files that track your location history. It can even reach into your cloud backups, downloading data you thought was stored safely away.
Your Life in a Police File
The implications for ordinary people are chilling. When police use these tools, they often perform a complete “data dump” of the device. Your intensely personal and entirely irrelevant data gets hoovered up right alongside any potential evidence. Victims of crime are often told to hand over their phones, unaware that their entire digital life could be scrutinised.
This practice erodes the trust between the public and the justice system. And with no transparent public record of how often these tools are used, we are left in the dark about whether this immense power is being used proportionately, or simply because it’s there.
A Ready-Made Tool for Tyrants
The story gets darker. This technology is not just used by police in democratic nations. The client list includes some of the world’s most repressive regimes. In Bahrain, it was used to prosecute a tortured activist. In Myanmar, it helped build the case against journalists investigating a massacre. Despite corporate assurances, these tools consistently end up in the hands of governments who use them to hunt down anyone who speaks out of line.
The technology’s sharpest edge is found in conflict zones. In Gaza, it has reportedly been used not as a tool for justice, but as an instrument of military intelligence. Reports describe the mass seizure of phones from Palestinians to map social networks, track movements, and inform targeting decisions. It is population control through technology.
Forged in Intelligence: The Unit 8200 Connection
You can’t understand this technology without understanding its origins. Cellebrite, in particular, is a product of Israel’s state intelligence machine, specifically the legendary cyber-warfare corps, Unit 8200. This unit serves as an incubator for Israel’s tech sector, and its veterans often move into senior roles at surveillance companies.
This isn’t a neutral tech company; it’s a strategic asset of the Israeli state. The revolving door between the military and the boardroom means its technology is born from a philosophy of state security, not just criminal justice.
“When a police force buys this tech, they aren’t just buying software; they’re importing a national security risk.”
An Agent in the Evidence Room
This is where the story comes home. When a British police force uses this tech, it may be inadvertently placing a foreign agent in its own evidence room. The shift to cloud-based software means data extracted in a London station could be processed on servers with ties to a foreign military. This fundamentally compromises our data sovereignty.
This hands a powerful lever of influence to another country. Access to the compromising data of a nation’s leaders, judges, or military officials is the kind of leverage that can quietly shape foreign policy. It’s a stark reminder that in the world of intelligence, there is often no such thing as a true friend, only interests.
The question for any democracy is stark. In the scramble for a tool to keep us safe, are we willing to trade a piece of our own sovereignty to get it?
Further Research Points:
Supporting URLs:
Magnet Axiom – Digital Forensics Software – Contracts Finder
Oxygen Forensics – UK Contracts
Quentin Budworth 