Read the report at @dfrlab.bsky.social.
Share it with policymakers, human rights advocates, and anyone working on Venezuela's transition.

dfrlab.org/wp-content/u...

The same apparatus that identified protesters after the July 2024 elections is still operational today.
Dismantling this surveillance system is a precondition for democratic transition in Venezuela.

PTZ Hikvision surveillance camera deployed in Chacao, Caracas, Venezuela.

Watch the Watchers maps Venezuela's overlapping surveillance systems: AI-enhanced CCTV integrated into VEN911, mass interception of communications, drone operations, the Patria welfare-surveillance platform, cyberpatrolling, device seizures, and state/sponsored cyberattacks.

Watch the Watchers: Surveillance technologies for political control in Venezuela Despite changes in leadership, Venezuela's extensive surveillance infrastructure remains fully operational.

Venezuela's surveillance state did not fall with Maduro. The system is still running under Delcy Rodríguez.
A joint research between @conexionsegura.bsky.social and the @atlanticcouncil.bsky.social's Democracy + Tech Initiative documents the repressive infrastructure.
dfrlab.org/2026/03/26/w...

Dismantling this surveillance infrastructure is the clearest test of whether Venezuela moves toward a democratic transition or Delcy Rodríguez cements her own authoritarian brand.

AI-enhanced CCTV, drone surveillance, mass telecom interception, state-sponsored apps, targeted cyberattacks.
This is what a surveillance state looks like in Venezuela after two decades of investment and a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure powered by Chinese technology.

Still watching: How Venezuela deploys surveillance to maintain political control The Atlantic Council's Democracy + Tech Initiative and Conexión Segura y Libre present the most comprehensive analysis to date of Venezuela's massive surveillance system, which is still operational af...

"Watch the Watchers" is the most comprehensive documentation of Venezuela's surveillance infrastructure to date.
A thorough investigation by @conexionsegura.bsky.social and the @atlanticcouncil.bsky.social Democracy + Tech Initiative.
www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/how-ve...

Still watching: How Venezuela deploys surveillance to maintain political control The Atlantic Council's Democracy + Tech Initiative and Conexión Segura y Libre present the most comprehensive analysis to date of Venezuela's massive surveillance system, which is still operational af...

Venezuela's surveillance state did not fall with Maduro. The system is still watching.

Join the discussion on "How Venezuela deploys surveillance to maintain political control" on March 26. Virtual event, 10:00–11:30 a.m. ET.

Register: www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/how-ve...

I love the idea of a privacy-oriented LLM, but the use of China's DeepSeek as the underlying engine is an issue

Delcy Rodríguez’s untenable balancing act Venezuela’s new acting president must choose between accommodating the Trump administration’s demands and preserving unity among the regime’s Chavista base.

Delcy Rodríguez's role as Venezuela's acting president is an impossible balancing act: satisfy Trump's demands, maintain support from the Chavista coalition, and keep alliances with China, Cuba, Iran, and Russia.
www.atlanticcouncil.org/dispatches/d...

@atlanticcouncil.bsky.social

Now comes the hard part: What Trump should do next to secure Venezuela's democratic future The United States is now forced to depend on the remnants of the Maduro regime for the next stage in the mission.

“Ultimately, what’s needed in Venezuela is a partner government that allows for the freedom of its people, respects foreign investment, and that advances US and Venezuelan security and economic interests,” writes Jason Marczak.

Biometrics and digital identity in Africa Biometrics have become deeply embedded in Africa’s political, social, and economic landscape.

A rights-aligned approach to digital identity is crucial for fostering inclusive and democratic futures. Be sure to read Sani Suleiman's in-depth examination of the policies and practices shaping the continent's digital environment.
www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-res...

Biometrics and digital identity in Africa Biometrics have become deeply embedded in Africa’s political, social, and economic landscape.

Conducted in partnership with Paradigm Initiative, this study provides essential analysis and policy recommendations for governments, technology companies, and civil society engaged in this rapidly changing landscape.
www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-res...

Biometrics and digital identity in Africa Biometrics have become deeply embedded in Africa’s political, social, and economic landscape.

The research report "Biometrics and Digital Identification Systems in Africa: Assessment of Governance, Vendors, and Human Rights" is a product of our work at the Atlantic Council's Democracy + Tech Initiative’s Rights-Aligned Tech Governance project.
www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-res...

Biometrics and digital identity in Africa Biometrics have become deeply embedded in Africa’s political, social, and economic landscape.

The development of these systems relies on a complex ecosystem dominated by transnational vendors. Indeed, the infrastructure that defines African identity is often created with limited transparency, weak data protection, and minimal public oversight.
www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-res...

Biometric systems are increasingly becoming vital to key governance and economic processes across Africa. These include voter registration, border management, government service delivery, and digital payments. www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-res...

The article "Women Activists in Venezuela: A Laboratory of Repression, Also Resistance" is a timely reading on how the Venezuelan regime weaponizes tech.
Two highlights:
- Surveillance drones watch from above
- VenApp fuels digital snitching & doxing
genderit.org/feminist-tal...

📅Today @ 9AM ET

Join the Democracy+Tech Initiative as we explore how digital identity is reshaping governance across Africa: bit.ly/3K4IPxk

Have questions for the panelists? Visit askac.org to share your insight 💬

Biometrics in Africa: The market behind digital identity The Atlantic Council’s Democracy + Tech Initiative hosts a conversation on biometric and digital identification systems in Africa.

On Nov. 19, the Atlantic Council's Democracy + Tech Initiative will host a discussion on "Biometrics in Africa: The Market Behind Digital Identity."
Discover the factors driving adoption and the associated human rights implications.

Register here: www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/biomet...

Biometrics in Africa: The market behind digital identity The Atlantic Council’s Democracy + Tech Initiative hosts a conversation on biometric and digital identification systems in Africa.

📅Nov 19 @ 9AM | Digital identity systems are transforming governance across Africa while raising big questions about privacy, inclusion & power. Join DFRLab's Democracy+Tech Initiative as we explore how digital identity is reshaping governance, elections & rights across the continent
bit.ly/3K4IPxk

Authoritarian reach and democratic response: A tactical framework to counter and prevent transnational repression When foreign governments conduct surveillance, intimidation, or enforcement actions, they undermine state sovereignty and threaten to erode public trust in institutions, representing a significant nat...

#TransnationalRepression is reshaping how authoritarian regimes project power & target critics abroad. @marcuskolga.bsky.social @imleeszefung.bsky.social @kentonthibaut.bsky.social @nosumacero.bsky.social & @lisandranovo.bsky.social introduce a framework to counter these operations: bit.ly/3Xgfz9I

A good starting point for people who are not familiar with the systematic human rights violations perpetrated in Venezuela over the past two decades.
The ICC investigation into crimes against humanity "allegedly" committed in the territory of Venezuela.

www.icc-cpi.int/venezuela-i

NEW: breach of Discord age verification data.

Including some users passports & DLs

Age verification is a badly implemented data grab wrapped in a moral panic.

Mark my words, as age verification mandates expand, we'll end up more surveilled and less secure. 1/

Attack in Bogotá Hits Two Venezuelan Activists Fleeing Maduro Persecution | Caracas Chronicles Luis Peche and Yendri Velasquez survived after being shot by hitmen. The message is clear: Colombia is not safe for Venezuelan dissidents

I´m personally committed to developing case studies documenting TNR activities linked to repressive states in Latin America (e.g. Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua), including the cases of some my friends and colleagues from these countries.
www.caracaschronicles.com/2025/10/14/a...

A whole-of-society effort to counter TNR, aligning civil society, lawmakers, law enforcement, and the media, should include:
1. Prevention & Awareness
2. Intervention & Disruption
3. Accountability & Deterrence
4. Victim Support & Rehabilitation

TNR Attacks include:
Harassment, Intimidation & Coercion, e.g., harassment of family members in the home country.
Digital Repression, e.g., surveillance and disinformation.
Lawfare, e.g., criminalizing dissidents.
Physical Attacks, e.g., kidnapping and assassinations.

TNR leverages technology and legal systems to suppress dissent.
Highly vulnerable groups include:
• Dissidents and Exiles.
• Journalists and media workers.
• Civil society, human rights activists, and lawyers.
• Elected officials and policymakers.
• Refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants.

Data shows that TNR incidents were perpetrated by 48 governments between 2014 and 2024.
Major perpetrators include Russia, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, North Korea, Egypt, Cuba, Cambodia, Rwanda, Belarus, and Venezuela.

The framework tackles Transnational Repression (TNR)—a worldwide threat where authoritarian regimes target frontline defenders and diaspora communities with serious and destabilizing effects.