The Geopolitics of Transnational Commercial Cyber-Surveillance Networks: Assessing Structural Exploitations of Civic Communication Systems

Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies | Vol. 14, No. 8, August 2023 | pp. 64–72

DOI: 10.46882/2023/GJPCS/140801

Article Type: Original Research Paper

Title: The Geopolitics of Transnational Commercial Cyber-Surveillance Networks: Assessing Structural Exploitations of Civic Communication Systems

Authors: Alexei V. Volkov¹, Nadia M. Al-Shari²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Information Security, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia; ²School of Computing and Informatics, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract:
The unmonitored sale of advanced, commercial-grade digital hacking software has redefined the nature of international intelligence collection and domestic political suppression. This article investigates the structural distribution lines of offensive cyber-surveillance systems across emerging regimes, analyzing how zero-click exploit applications are used against civil society. Utilizing digital forensic tracking data collected from compromised devices alongside international legal frameworks, we map out intrusion patterns recorded between 2021 and 2023. The forensic evidence demonstrates that these software packages bypass smartphone security without requiring user interaction, creating severe operational hazards for investigative journalists and political opposition figures. Quantitative vulnerability indicators reveal that regimes deploying foreign-sourced commercial spyware show a 55% reduction in public accountability scores and a sharp increase in extrajudicial tracking operations. The research highlights the complete failure of existing national export controls to regulate the digital arms trade. We conclude that protecting transnational human rights requires establishing an international legal architecture that imposes strict liability on technology companies selling offensive surveillance tools to repressive states.

Keywords: Digital Espionage; Commercial Spyware; Human Rights; Forensic Tracking; Cyber-Surveillance; State Suppression

Manuscript Timeline: Received: August 14, 2021; Revised: November 02, 2021; Accepted: January 28, 2020; Published: August 15, 2023

Citation: Volkov, A. V., & Al-Shari, N. M. (2023). The Geopolitics of Transnational Commercial Cyber-Surveillance Networks: Assessing Structural Exploitations of Civic Communication Systems. Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 14(8), 64–72. DOI: 10.46882/2023/GJPCS/140801

Subscribe to read the full article: https://internationalscholarsjournals.org/subscribe-to-read