.jpg){kind=link}
Essay by Eric Worrall
Who could have guessed that a dictator accused of routine mass violation of human rights would allegedly spy on delegates and interfere with human rights events?
‘Imprecise, inaccurate, ludicrous’: Egypt dismisses accusations of spying at climate talks as distraction
By Nick O’Malley
November 15, 2022 — 6.30amSharm el Sheikh: A senior Egyptian official has dismissed allegations of covert surveillance being deployed against dissenters at the COP27 climate talks, suggesting the allegations were made as a political distraction.
German media has reported that the German government complained that Egyptian security staff were reported to have monitored and filmed events held at the German pavilion inside the summit venue in Sharm el Sheikh, while Reuters has reported that German federal police have warned its delegates that they may be getting spied on by the host country’s security agents.
Some of the events hosted by Germany at the COP relate to human rights rather than climate change and the German Press Agency reported that Egyptian officials took photographs and videos and disrupted proceedings on at least two occasions.
“We expect all participants in the UN climate conference to be able to work and negotiate under safe conditions,” Germany’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “This is not just true for the German but for all delegations, as well as representatives of civil society and the media.”
…
Read more: https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/imprecise-inaccurate-ludicrous-egypt-dismisses-accusations-of-spying-at-climate-talks-as-distraction-20221115-p5by9g.html
Al Jazeera also accused Egypt of promoting an espionage spyware event app;
‘Weaponised app’: Is Egypt spying on COP27 delegates’ phones?
Security analysts warn smartphone app for Sharm el-Sheikh climate talks could be used for spying as it has ‘highly intrusive’ access to locations, conversations and images.
By Beatrice Zemelyte
Published On 12 Nov 202212 Nov 2022Cybersecurity concerns have been raised at the United Nations’ COP27 climate talks over an official smartphone app that reportedly has carte blanche to monitor locations, private conversations and photographs.
About 35,000 people are expected to attend the two-week climate conference in Egypt, and the app has been downloaded more than 10,000 times on Google Play, including by officials from France, Germany and Canada.
Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology developed the app for the summit’s delegates.
It is meant to assist attendees in smoothly navigating the conference, but “the government of Egypt may have weaponised the app and now has the ability to surveil all of the summit attendees”, David Bader, an expert in data science and cybersecurity, told Al Jazeera.
…
Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/12/expert-warn-egypts-cop27-app-could-be-used-for-surveilliance
I’m sure espionage scandals are nothing new to COP conference events. My question is, why has this suddenly become a public issue?
Perhaps Germany doesn’t like the Egyptian regime, and has triggered an agitated response from Egypt through a principled decision to hilight Egypt’s alleged human rights issues.
But there is a small but intriguing possibility delegates might be manoeuvring to blame Egypt for the COP27 failure to produce a meaningful climate agreement, as part of an attempt to deflect blame for the failure, and perhaps to destabilise the el-Sisi regime.
Egypt’s dictator Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, despite accusations of mass human rights violations, is a US ally. I’m no fan of el-Sisi, it is unfortunate that successive US administrations seem to find it geopolitically necessary to support Egypt’s el-Sisi, as they supported Hosni Mubarak before him.
But if el-Sisi is toppled, US regional interests could suffer a significant setback. Other nations might see the resulting chaos as an opportunity to grow their influence in the region.
Despite ongoing US support, the el-Sisi regime might be vulnerable. The apparent uptick in alleged human rights abuses over the last few years could be a sign he is losing his grip on power.
Imagine choosing Egypt to hold COP27 climate talks knowing full well that Egypt is a first-class police State… and then being surprised that there was police State activity. 🤷♂️ 🤦♂️
“We expect all participants in the UN climate conference to be able to work and negotiate under safe conditions,” Germany’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.”
I came here to laugh at this for exactly the reason you state. I got the laugh, though, even if you beat me to the analysis.
Do I care a toss what happens to all those eco nuts at COP whichever?
Not *really* a scandal – it’s just what happens these days.
Here’s a few words from an email I got just now, on an entirely different subject:
Quote:”You need look no further than Google’s search to see evidence of Big Brother and the policing of thought, or the recent censorship attempts against independent and alternative media to understand what Orwell meant when he said: “In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
‘universal deceit’ being the operative – everybody is doing it.
There are no innocent ‘parties’ in this story, just like Downing St. while Bojo lived there. Esp on Friday afternoons. hic
(One of the hazards of being a self-proclaimed, Intelligent Species/Society and as far as UK was concerned, you don’t get any more hazardous than Boris turned out)
Umbrella Corporation, no less. Wicked.
Peta,
I would suggest that – without evidence of assorted feathers – Larry, at least, will have been innocent throughout.
For those not aware, Larry is the Senior Mouser at 10 Downing Street, and, in fairness, probably has no more influence on the people working [so-say] there than does the Man in the Moon.
Auto
“…US ally” us based on the convenient idea that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”. This is what led US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to (clandestinely) ship arms to the new group ISIS (Islamic State), because they were fighting against al-Queda. This led to the Bengali massacre, which was the transshipment site. Spy vs Spy in COP 27? What’s not to like?
Oops! Benghazi, not Bengali.
A suitable religion (i.e. behavioral protocol) for men and women capable of self-moderation, and competing interests to mitigate the progress of others running amuck.
In the middle east, it’s rare to get a choice between good and bad.
Much of the time you have to choose between bad and evil.
If you have not worked out by now that the so called “Smartphone” is actually a surveillance phone, then there is no hope for you.
Google is NOT your friend.
Nor Facebook etc.
And really not tiktok.
TikTok is an influencer. Where are you directed, today.
Google is a steering engine. Facebook is a commodity exchange. Caveat emptor.
Another article examining the COP27 app:
Egypt’s COP27 summit app is a cyber weapon, experts warn
Of note, the Qatar World Cup app does the same stuff:
Everyone going to the World Cup must have this app – experts are now sounding the alarm
Eric Worrall writes: “…it is unfortunate that successive US administrations seem to find it geopolitically necessary to support Egypt’s el-Sisi…”
You have a short memory, Eric. Barack Obama – and Vice President Joe Biden – did everything they could think of to install a radical, anti-American, anti-Israel, pro-Iran, one vote-one time, Muslim Brotherhood dictatorship in Cairo. Sisi evicted the Muslim Brotherhood.
The only people who file human rights abuse charges against Sisi are religious totalitarians who want to restore the Ottoman Empire.
Ottoman empire be damned. They want the whole European Islamic Caliphate back. And more.
A second Iraq War, funded by DC, executed by Iran. An Arab Spring in the World War Spring series. Contemporary Egypt is the product of a counter-coup to reduce alien influence and violence.
Most government behaviour is best understood by the hypothesis that all government is essentially a self-legalising protection racket.
A governing spectrum of authoritarian progress from anarchy to totalitarianism with secular lucre… “benefits”.
I know what you did last Spring. Good for the Egyptians.
I lived and worked in Egypt 30 years ago. We all knew that, as expatriate workers, every telephone conversation we had was monitored by three governments; Egypt, Israel and the U.S. To go to Egypt at a large, internationally important event and expect NOT to be monitored is naive. While they may not be using that special app designed for the COP event, Egypt isn’t the only country “listening in.”