TECHNOLOGY FROM two Irish companies has been implicated in disrupting communications between protesters in Syria at the behest of the Assad regime.
The Syrian government has been ordering that text messages containing sensitive keywords such as “revolution” or “demonstration” should not be delivered by mobile networks, according to a report on the Bloomberg newswire.
While the Syrian intelligence service is issuing the orders, the filtering of messages is being carried out by the mobile networks themselves. The two largest networks – Syriatel and MTN Syria – are using software provided by Dublin-based Cellusys and AdaptiveMobile respectively. Both firms provide technology which prevents viruses and spam being spread on mobile phone networks.
Dawood Ghalaieny, chief executive of Cellusys, was travelling on business in Dubai yesterday and did not return calls to the company’s Dublin office seeking comment. However, Mr Ghalaieny told Bloomberg that Cellusys staff had not worked in Syria since 2009.
“Once they have the systems, they control it,” said Mr Ghalaieny. “If it is used for something else, there is not much that can be done.”
AdaptiveMobile said in a statement that, in 2008, it provided MTN Syria with a system. However, “given the changing political situation in the region”, it decided last year not to renew the contract.
“At no point has AdaptiveMobile had a relationship, provided services or ever engaged with, the Syrian government or associated organisations,” the statement said. “AdaptiveMobile does not condone the unlawful use or abuse of any software and/or technology and condemns any abuse of telecommunications networks to abridge human rights.”
It also said it had no evidence that its software was being used to monitor individual communications.
Cellusys was incorporated in 2005. According to its most recent annual return, the entire issued share capital in the company is held by a separate Dublin-registered company called Galenford Ltd. Galenford was dissolved in October 2011 following the lodgement of a petition for winding up by the Revenue Commissioners.
AdaptiveMobile was founded in 2003 and its investors include Intel, venture capital firm Doughty Hanson and Kuwait investment house Noor Financial.
The supply of the software to the telecoms companies in Syria did not violate any Irish or European laws. The EU imposed restrictions last year on sales of equipment to Syria that could be used for repression.
While noting there was no suggestion that Cellusys or AdaptiveMobile broke the law, Noeleen Hartigan, programmes director with Amnesty International’s Irish section, said “companies exporting to repressive regimes should undertake effective human rights due diligence”.
