Surveillance & Tech Security

Exporting Technological Authoritarianism: How Chinese Technology Is Integrating into Georgia’s State Infrastructure

New, Research, Surveillance & Tech Security / /

Civic IDEA is sharing a new research report based on a detailed analysis of Georgia’s public procurement records from 2025 through March 2026. Our findings show that Chinese-made surveillance systems and digital devices are being systematically integrated into Georgia’s state infrastructure — from municipal city halls to military educational institutions.

Key findings:

  • 23 public procurements involving Chinese-made surveillance equipment and digital devices were identified between 2025 and March 2026.
  • The largest spenders: Kutaisi Municipality City Hall (GEL 6,600,795), the NNLE Department of Urban Infrastructure and Improvement (GEL 1,972,300), and the National Assessment and Examinations Center (GEL 340,933).
  • Among the manufacturers integrated into Georgian state infrastructure are internationally sanctioned companies: Hikvision, Uniview, Tiandy, DJI, and Autel Robotics — all of which appear on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Entity List.
  • According to CISA and the FBI, Chinese technologies embedded in critical infrastructure create the risk of covert access to sensitive data by the Chinese government.
  • Chinese law legally obliges companies to cooperate with state intelligence services — this is not a choice, it is a statutory requirement.
  • Freedom House describes this process as the export of “digital authoritarianism.” The Atlantic Council calls it the global expansion of a “surveillance ecosystem.”

The integration of Chinese surveillance and digital technologies into state infrastructure is not merely a technical or economic choice — it is a strategic political decision with direct implications for national security, data protection, and democratic development.

Read the full report

Exporting Technological Authoritarianism: How Chinese Technology Is Integrating into Georgia’s State Infrastructure Read More »

EMERGING CONCERN Chinese Surveillance Cameras in Georgia

New, Research, Surveillance & Tech Security / /

A new report by Civic IDEA explores an emerging dimension of China-Georgia law enforcement cooperation: the procurement of Chinese surveillance technology by Georgian government institutions.

Drawing on publicly available data, the report examines state procurement of Chinese surveillance cameras between 2019 and 2024, revealing a growing trend in the acquisition of this technology by Georgian authorities.

The report’s final section highlights the significant challenges associated with Chinese surveillance technology, including data insecurity, vulnerability to cyber-attacks, human rights concerns, and close ties to the Chinese Communist Party. These issues have led to the banning of Chinese surveillance technology in several Western countries.

CHINESE SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS REMAIN A GLOBAL CONCERN

EMERGING CONCERN Chinese Surveillance Cameras in Georgia Read More »

CHINESE COMPANY CRTG: SECURITY RISKS AND INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURES

Research, Surveillance & Tech Security / /

“Civic Idea” is pleased to present a new publication examining the recent entry of the Chinese state-owned company, China Railway Tunnel Group (CRTG), into the Georgian market.

The report delves into the controversies and challenges surrounding CRTG, which is overseeing two critical infrastructure projects: the Kvesheti-Kobi highway connecting Georgia to Russia and the Stepantsminda-Gveleti connecting road.

This study highlights key concerns, including security risks, infrastructure deficiencies, and the company’s history of serious international violations. It provides an in-depth analysis of CRTG’s operations in Georgia and explores its track record in other countries.

CHINESE COMPANY CRTG: SECURITY RISKS AND INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURES Read More »

In The Wake of NUCTECH Raids: Evaluating International Fallout and Its Ties with Georgia

New, Research, Surveillance & Tech Security / /

Civic IDEA is pleased to share a two-page report, ‘In the Wake of NUCTECH Raids: Evaluating International Fallout and Its Ties with Georgia,’ which overviews the recent scandals involving the Chinese company NUCTECH, emphasizing its notorious reputation and cooperation with Georgian state institutions. 

In-The-Wake-of-NUCTECH-Raids-Evaluating-International-Fallout-and-Its-Ties-with-Georgia

In The Wake of NUCTECH Raids: Evaluating International Fallout and Its Ties with Georgia Read More »

China’s Secret Cyberattacks

New, Research, Surveillance & Tech Security / /

Civic IDEA is delighted to announce the release of a two-pager report shedding light on “China’s Secret Cyberattacks”.

The document provides an overview of digital assaults perpetrated against the democratic institutions of both the UK and the US in recent years. Drawing from the indictment document of the US court, the report details the cyber-attacking strategies employed by the defendants. Furthermore, it unravels their intricate connections with the Communist Party of China.

Chinas-Secret-Cyberattacks

China’s Secret Cyberattacks Read More »

The security risks carried by the Chinese tech frontrunner Huawei

New, Research, Surveillance & Tech Security / /

Already in the updated version of the list, which dates back to December 2021, we see that Georgia’s leading strategic partner, the United States, has blacklisted not only the Huawei divisions in different cities in China but also its other branches abroad. More precisely, the US has barred exports, reexports, and transfers coming from the Huawei subdivisions in Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Madagascar, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK, Vietnam. According to the document, the main reason for their debar-ment is linked to the security vulnerabilities that Huawei items convey.

In our 2020 report “Who is in charge of the post-cold war world? Chinese influence operations in Academia, Media & CSOs,” we have thoroughly covered the controversies related to Huawei and its activities in the US, the UK, and different EU member states. We also reviewed the resilience strategies used by multiple countries, such as Japan, the US, or the UK, that effectively impose restrictions and sanctions against the Chinese tech giant to ensure their national security.

For more information, please visit the link ?

The security risks carried by the Chinese tech frontrunner Huawei

The security risks carried by the Chinese tech frontrunner Huawei Read More »

CHINESE COMPANY NUCTECH – A MAJOR SECURITY CHALLENGE FOR GEORGIA 

New, Research, Surveillance & Tech Security / /

On January 20, 2022, Associated Press News featured an article “Security scanners across Europe tied to China govt, military,” raising alarms about the notorious Chinese “Nuctech Company Limited” and its dispersal throughout the European states.

Last year, Civic IDEA published a report about Nuctech Company Limited reviewing:

  • its cooperation with the Georgian government,
  • fraudulent activities related to Georgian and foreign tender procedures,
  • malfunctions of its security equipment,
  • corruption scandals worldwide.

Back then, our team has already stressed out the high-security risks threatening the national security of those states, where Nuctech has operated.

For more information, please visit the link ?

CHINESE COMPANY NUCTECH – A MAJOR SECURITY CHALLENGE FOR GEORGIA

CHINESE COMPANY NUCTECH – A MAJOR SECURITY CHALLENGE FOR GEORGIA  Read More »

Scroll to Top