"Rights groups: don't send spy technology to abusive regimes, including Egypt", 2 December 2014

Seven international human rights and digital watchdogs have called on signatories of a global export agreement to tackle the "alarming proliferation" of surveillance technologies being sent to oppressive states, including Egypt.

 The organisations, which include Human Rights Watch and Privacy International, said surveillance technology is not always harmful, but is often used as "a tool of repression" by governments that abuse human rights.

The open letter was addressed to the 41 members of the Wassenaar Arrangement, an international convention which promotes transparency and restrictions in the export of technology, arms and products that can be used in both civilian life and the army.

"Governments with internationally condemned human rights records such as Bahrain, Ethiopia, Egypt, Turkmenistan, Libya, Syria and Iran have all purchased surveillance technologies from private companies, and have used them to facilitate a variety of human rights violations," read the letter...