Amnesty launches Detekt anti-surveillance app

A new tool to help journalists and human rights activists identify surveillance spyware on their tech devices has been released today by Amnesty International.

The app was launched by Amnesty in conjunction with a group of human rights and technology organisations.

Detekt is the first tool to be made generally available that allows the user to scan for bugging software in computers and mobile devices .

"Governments are increasingly using dangerous and sophisticated technology that allows them to read activists and journalists' private emails and remotely turn on their computer's camera or microphone to secretly record their activities," said Marek Marczynski, head of military, security and police at Amnesty International.

“Detekt is a simple tool that will alert activists to such intrusions so they can take action.

“It represents a strike back against governments who are using information obtained through surveillance to arbitrarily detain, arrest and even torture human rights defenders and journalists.”

Detekt is being launched by Amnesty in partnership with Digitale Gesellschaft, Electronic Frontier Foundation and Privacy International.

Surveillance technologies

The use of surveillance technologies has increased significantly over the past number of years.

The Coalition Against Unlawful Surveillance Exports, of which Amnesty is a member, estimates that the industry is worth $5 billion (about €4 billion).

Despite the development of the tool, the organisation stresses the continued importance of intervention at an international level to make sure that these surveillance technologies are not misused in the first place.

“Detekt is a great tool which can help activists stay safe but ultimately the only way to prevent these technologies from being used to violate or abuse human rights is to establish and enforce strict controls on their use and trade,” said Mr Marczynski.