How Chinese firewall has turned Pakistani internet into spy network, reveals Amnesty report

The Amnesty report says that Pakistan's spy agencies can monitor at least 4 million mobile phones at a time

Pakistan is carrying out one of the most extensive state surveillance operations outside China, using a phone-tapping system and a Chinese-built internet firewall to monitor and censor millions of citizens, Amnesty International said in a new report released Tuesday.

The watchdog said Pakistan’s surveillance apparatus, assembled with both Chinese and Western technologies, is central to a broad crackdown on dissent and free expression. Political and media freedoms—already limited—have narrowed further in recent years, particularly after the military severed ties with then–Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2022. Khan is now jailed, while thousands of his supporters remain detained.

Mass Phone Tapping and Internet Controls

According to Amnesty, Pakistan’s intelligence services can tap into at least 4 million mobile phones simultaneously through its Lawful Intercept Management System (LIMS). Alongside it operates WMS 2.0, a firewall that inspects internet traffic and can block up to 2 million online sessions at once.

Used together, the systems enable authorities to intercept calls and texts while throttling or blocking websites and social media platforms nationwide. The actual number of phones under surveillance may be higher, as all four major telecom operators have been ordered to integrate with LIMS, Amnesty technologist Jurre van Berge told Reuters.

“Mass surveillance creates a chilling effect in society, whereby people are deterred from exercising their rights, both online and offline,” Amnesty warned.

Court Case Sparked Probe

Amnesty’s findings were partly informed by a 2024 case at the Islamabad High Court filed by Bushra Bibi, wife of former PM Khan, after private phone calls of hers were leaked. In hearings, Pakistan’s defense ministries and spy agencies denied carrying out phone tapping or even having such capabilities. Yet, under questioning, the telecom regulator admitted it had directed operators to install LIMS for use by “designated agencies.”

Government ministries and the telecom regulator did not respond to Reuters’ questions about Amnesty’s report.

Internet Blackouts and Censorship

Amnesty estimates Pakistan is currently blocking around 650,000 web links, while platforms including YouTube, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) face restrictions. These measures have hit hardest in Balochistan, where several districts have endured years-long internet shutdowns. Rights groups accuse the military of widespread abuses there—including enforced disappearances of Baloch and Pashtun activists—allegations the military denies.

Technology Suppliers Named

The watchdog said it reviewed contracts, leaked documents, trade data, and Chinese records linking the firewall’s supplier to state-owned firms in Beijing. The firewall is provided by Chinese firm Geedge Networks, which did not respond to requests for comment.

Experts warn the combination of mass call monitoring and public internet filtering is highly unusual. “Having both in Pakistan constitutes a troubling development from a human rights perspective,” said Ben Wagner, professor of Human Rights and Technology at Austria’s IT:U University. “It suggests greater restrictions on freedom of expression and privacy will become more common as such tools become easier to deploy.”

Mix of Chinese and Western Systems

The firewall reportedly incorporates hardware from U.S.-based Niagara Networks, software from Thales DIS, a unit of France’s Thales, and servers from a Chinese state IT firm. An earlier version relied on Canada’s Sandvine.

•Niagara told Reuters it complies with U.S. export laws, sells only tapping and aggregation equipment, and has no visibility into how end users deploy its products.

•Germany’s Utimaco developed the phone-tapping system, which was implemented through monitoring centers operated by UAE-based Datafusion. Datafusion said it only sells facilities to law enforcement and does not manufacture LIMS.

•AppLogic Networks, which succeeded Sandvine, said it has grievance mechanisms in place to prevent misuse.

Other companies mentioned in the report did not reply to inquiries.

(With Reuters inputs)