The Georgian government is moving forward with plans to purchase advanced mobile data extraction technology from Israeli firm Cellebrite, a deal valued at $2.4 million, as authorities continue a months-long crackdown on protesters and independent media.
Internal affairs ministry procurement documents released Tuesday reveal plans to renew existing licenses for Cellebrite’s forensic software and acquire new ones. The tools allow law enforcement to unlock and extract data from mobile devices, raising alarm among human rights groups who fear they could be used to target journalists, activists, and political opponents.
Since November, nightly demonstrations have rocked the capital Tbilisi following disputed elections that solidified the ruling Georgian Dream party’s hold on power. The party has enacted laws critics compare to Russian-style restrictions on civil liberties, and police have responded to protests with force and mass detentions.
Donncha Ó Cearbhaill, head of Amnesty International’s Security Lab, warned that supplying such powerful surveillance tools to Georgia’s government poses significant risks. He called on Cellebrite to investigate whether its products might be used for repression, noting that Serbian authorities previously deployed similar technology against journalists and activists during mass protests there.
No evidence has emerged that Georgian officials have used Cellebrite’s tools against protesters, journalists, or opposition figures. Cellebrite did not comment on the Georgia deal, but announced Tuesday it was suspending product use in Serbia following a review of Amnesty’s misuse allegations.
Israeli human rights lawyer Eitay Mack questioned the company’s safeguards, pointing to what he described as arbitrary detentions in Georgia. He previously urged Israel’s Defense Ministry, which authorizes Cellebrite’s exports, to block sales to the country. In 2021, Cellebrite stopped selling to Russia and Belarus after similar concerns.
Internal communications included in Georgia’s procurement data show a Cellebrite sales director warning of a “sensitive issue” that could lead to a sales block, urging the interior ministry to purchase as early as possible this year. The letter did not specify the nature of the concern.