Mass surveillance and censorship/ What is DPI, intended for use by the government?

2025-04-01 11:28:00, Aktualitet CNA

Mass surveillance and censorship/ What is DPI, intended for use by the

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The Albanian government is said to be planning to use a technology called Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) to shut down TikTok, which could become a dangerous tool for mass surveillance and internet censorship.

What is DPI?

DPI analyzes network traffic in detail, identifying data packets associated with specific applications.

If a network (such as that of a company, school, or state) decides to restrict TikTok, DPI can detect and block its traffic.

However, users can circumvent this restriction by using VPNs or other traffic concealment techniques.

Why can it be dangerous?

Violates privacy

It monitors and analyzes internet traffic, seeing what sites and applications a person uses.

Censorship and control

It can be used by governments to block websites and applications, restricting freedom of information.

Hackers and cyberattacks

If a DPI system falls into the wrong hands, it can be used to spy on and manipulate user traffic.

So, DPI is a powerful tool that can be used for security or control, and the risk depends on who uses it and for what purpose. (READ HERE )

What happens?

DPI is not an unknown technology, it is used by social media, by ISPs, it is used by telephone companies, but if it is misused it can have major consequences and risks, as it can collect personal data, it can be used, as we emphasized above, to eavesdrop on institutions, or officials, prosecutors, judges or other matters.

So, in the wrong hands it is a "bomb".

The government is considering shutting down the TikTok platform, but the question arises: Are there the necessary capacities to manage this type of program? Is the legislation adequate?

Who is responsible if this is used, for example, to eavesdrop on the opposition or journalists, or prosecutors and judges of SPAK and GJKKO?

"Rama is using eavesdropping devices"/ DP: Attack on freedom and privacy
March 28, 16:51

Beyond the fact that it is an advanced program, there are very big risks. And knowing the approach of Albanian institutions, the way they are managed, what happened a while ago when Albanian citizens had their personal data, salary, civil status, phone numbers, properties, etc. made public.

With an internet access taken over by the Iranians, imagine what could happen to DPI, as no one gives guarantees, because this program depends on how it will be configured.

If it's only used for TikTok, it's "ok", but if the people who have access configure it for other issues as mentioned above, what happens?

So, the main disadvantage of DPI is that it can raise privacy concerns, as it involves inspecting the content of network traffic, potentially exposing sensitive information.

This requires careful consideration of data privacy and legal implications./ CNA