China Helps Iran To Spy On All Its Citizens

Chinese company that specializes on telecommunication equipment sold a package of advanced surveillance equipment that works as a system and can easily monitor different activities of communications users like landline and mobile communications, internet traffic, short messages, e-mails and even track the locations of mobile phones using their embedded navigation microchips.

Largest telecommunication equipment provider ZTE Corp

According to the documents and many interviews, Chinese second largest telecommunication equipment provider ZTE Corp sold Iranian TCI (Telecommunication Company of Iran) many different systems and equipment as part of the $130.6 million contract. Both ZTE and TCI are government owned or controlled companies and their collaborative agreements are obvious. Still President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tried to defend this deal at the Supreme Council of Cyberspace saying that this new equipment used by TCI will protect Iranian people from internet evils.

Mahmoud Tadjallimehr, the former telecommunications project manager from Iran that has worked in European and Chinese telecommunication companies said that those systems purchased by Telecommunication Company of Iran is much more complex than ordinary equipment used in this industry. He expects that this advanced equipment is able to access the voice calls, SMS messages, e-mails, chat and other types of communication activity.

Surveillance and security systems

Now let’s look from the other side. It is not a secret at all that ZTE is working not only at telecommunications market but at surveillance market too. Its subsidiary company called ZTE Special Equipment Co. (ZTEsec) is a specialized manufacturer of surveillance and security systems. In addition it is often co-sponsors the ISS World, an international trade show where different companies are selling their systems and equipment to governmental and law-enforcement agencies.

How to avoid spying on your phone?

There are also some rumors about Iran purchasing surveillance equipment not only manufactured by China but also advanced American surveillance equipment through the Chinese company. All this allows Iranian government to easily spy on all its citizens in many ways. So if you live in Iran then you would probably want to protect yourself from this governmental control, right? Although you cannot prevent your landlines from being eavesdropped you can avoid Iran government from spying on your mobile phone and your location, protecting most of your privacy in that way.