Tech Global Institute submission to the OHCHR on digital surveillance in India and Bangladesh

Tech Global Institute (TGI) has provided a submission to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for its upcoming thematic report on the impact of digital and AI-assisted surveillance on assembly and association rights, to be presented at the 62nd session of the Human Rights Council (HRC62). The document responds directly to the OHCHR’s call for inputs and compiles publicly available evidence on the acquisition and use of surveillance technologies in Bangladesh and India, as well as their implications for the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

According to TGI’s analysis, Bangladesh has procured more than 160 surveillance tools since 2015, including interception systems, spyware, facial and vehicle recognition technologies, and biometric monitoring tools. The submission notes that many of these tools were introduced through public tenders, budget allocations, and procurement exercises involving both domestic and foreign vendors. TGI highlights that civil society organisations have raised concerns regarding the absence of publicly documented safeguards, limited judicial oversight, and the broader regulatory framework governing their use. The submission also references incidents of internet shutdowns and restrictions coinciding with public demonstrations.

In India, the report examines the expansion of surveillance capacity through CCTV networks, facial recognition systems, drones, predictive policing tools, and targeted spyware operations. The submission cites publicly reported cases involving Pegasus spyware, as well as the increasing use of surveillance systems by local authorities during protests. It notes that transparency regarding procurement and use varies across jurisdictions, and that exemptions in information laws and gaps in data-protection regulation have raised questions among researchers and legal experts about accountability and oversight. Examples referenced include the use of facial recognition during protests in Delhi and drone monitoring of crowd gatherings.

TGI concludes by outlining potential impacts on the exercise of assembly and association rights as recognised under international human rights law. These include deterrent effects on participation in demonstrations, concerns about data use and retention, and the absence of consistent remedial mechanisms. The submission encourages the OHCHR to consider these developments when assessing how emergent surveillance practices intersect with human rights obligations.