EU criticised over surveillance aid in nations where privacy at risk

A file photo of surveillance cameras at a port of entry in San Diego, California, US. Niger was allocated €11.5mil (RM56.07mil) in EU funds two years ago to buy surveillance drones, cameras and software to bolster migration controls, said the PI report. — Bloomberg

LONDON: European Union aid has been used to pay for surveillance equipment and training in countries with inadequate safeguards against excessive state snooping, rights groups said on Nov 11, calling for an end to the “unacceptable” practice.

From training Algerian police on social media monitoring to equipping Niger with phone-tracking tools, the EU has helped numerous nations boost their surveillance capacity in recent years, a report by London-based Privacy International (PI) said.