Surveillance represses dissent from Gaza to Cape Town

FROM the skies above Gaza to the streets of Cape Town, surveillance technologies are no longer confined to military zones. Tools once developed for war and occupation are now being deployed to monitor, profile, and suppress civilian populations particularly those engaging in solidarity with Palestine or challenging systems of injustice. This creeping form of digital occupation marks a dangerous evolution in how power is exercised and dissent controlled.

- SÖZARN BARDAY

One such tool is SocialNet, developed by US-based company Shadow-Dragon, a contractor for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The software scrapes user data from over 200 platforms including Instagram, Facebook, OnlyFans, and Bluesky - to construct detailed profiles of individuals' political views, associations, and activities. Once used to hunt "terror suspects" abroad, such software is now used domestically in the US to track activists, immigrants, and students.

According to Surveillance Watch, ShadowDragon and similar technologies have been deployed to monitor pro-Palestinian activists especially after the escalation in Gaza in October 2023. Peaceful protesters have faced online harassment, disciplinary action, and immigration enforcement all triggered by surveillance-generated intel. The net effect: digital repression masquerading as national security.