Sandvine’s technology used for web censoring in more than a dozen nations

Demonstrators holding signs and waving a Belarus flag during a protest outside Francisco Partners headquarters in San Francisco, California. The government of Belarus shut down access to much of the internet during a crucial election in August by using equipment manufactured by Sandvine Inc. — Bloomberg

In Jordan, Sandvine Inc’s equipment was used to censor an LGBTQ website. Egypt’s government relied on Sandvine equipment to block access to independent news sites. In Azerbaijan, it was deployed for a social media blackout, current and former employees say.

Last month, US-based Sandvine, which is owned by the private equity firm Francisco Partners, said it would stop selling its equipment in Belarus after Bloomberg News reported that it was used to censor the Internet during a crucial election. In explaining its decision, the company said it abhors “the use of technology to suppress the free flow of information resulting in human rights violations”.