The internet was once envisioned as a platform for open communication, collaboration, and the democratization of information. Over the past two decades, however, it has increasingly become a battlefield where states, corporations, and private actors deploy surveillance tools and control mechanisms under the banners of “safety” and “security.” Surveillance tools are not only created by governments but also by private entities that provide their products and services to the highest bidders who often have the lowest respect for human rights.
Introduction & History of Mass Surveillance
This talk will trace the arc of how the digital domain shifted from liberation to militarization, and why it matters now more than ever. We’ll begin with a brief history of mass surveillance, from the early days of metadata collection to the groundbreaking revelations of Edward Snowden in 2013. The leaks exposed the scale at which intelligence agencies monitored global communications, reshaping public understanding of privacy, rights, and the limits of state power. WikiLeaks’ “Vault 7” disclosures later revealed the CIA’s offensive cyber capabilities, showing how surveillance tools can be weaponized.
Commercial Spyware
Governments are no longer the only players. The rise of private spyware firms like NSO Group, Hacking Team, Intellexa and Cytrox has created a global market for surveillance tools, ranging from mobile exploits to sophisticated intrusion frameworks. These tools, once shrouded in secrecy, have become commercial products, they are sold with no oversight and often turned against journalists, dissidents, and civil society. We'll talk about the collapse of some of these firms as the result of public scrutiny, lawsuits, and geopolitical pressure.
Dangerous Legislation
The growing militarization of the internet is being reinforced by dangerous legislative trends. Laws such as the UK’s Online Safety Bill and the EU’s Chat Control regulation promise safety but erode privacy by mandating mass scanning of private communications and threatening encryption. While positioned as protective, they normalize surveillance infrastructures and extend control into the private digital sphere.
This talk will argue that the militarization of the internet is not only technological but deeply political. By connecting surveillance history, leaks, spyware tools, corporate collapses, and new laws, it will illustrate how the line between protection and oppression is rapidly vanishing and why resisting this trajectory is vital.
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About Jared Naude:
Jared is the Head of Security at Synthesis, where he specializes in enterprise cloud architecture. Jared is passionate and deeply committed to guiding large organizations through the complexities of architecting, securing and operationalizing enterprise cloud environments. Beyond Jared’s professional responsibilities, Jared is an enthusiastic advocate for community building, serving as the organizer of several local security events, including 0xcon, BSides Cape Town, and BSides Joburg. Jared’s research focuses on cybersecurity topics that intersect with national security and foreign policy issues such as encryption, privacy, surveillance, disinformation, and nation-state activity.
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