A recent investigation by the non-profit **Human Rights Watch** has brought to light a disturbing trend: a Bulgarian surveillance technology firm, **Circles**, has reportedly supplied sophisticated monitoring tools to nations known for suppressing their citizens. The report, based on export licensing records from 2018 through 2023, indicates that the Bulgarian government sanctioned the sale of **Circles**' technology to law enforcement and intelligence agencies in countries including El Salvador, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Bahrain, Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco, and Panama. Many of these nations have long been criticized for their crackdown on dissent and have previously used spyware against journalists and activists. ### EU Export Controls Under Scrutiny This revelation casts a harsh light on the European Union's export control regime, which is designed to prevent the proliferation of advanced surveillance technology. Despite persistent calls for stricter enforcement, the EU has struggled to curb the sale of such tools beyond its borders. Zach Campbell, a senior surveillance researcher at **Human Rights Watch**, emphasized the urgency of the situation. "All EU governments should be clamping down on exports of tools that can be used for repression, not rubber-stamping them," Campbell stated. He added that the European Commission appears to have taken no action despite having evidence that EU governments are issuing licenses without adequate human rights due diligence. Both the Bulgarian government and the European Commission have been contacted for comment. The Bulgarian government informed **Human Rights Watch** that it maintains a "zero tolerance for abuses" and strictly monitors compliance. The European Commission, however, stated that member states are "solely responsible for licensing decisions on dual-use exports." **Circles** did not respond to multiple requests for comment from **Human Rights Watch**. ### Powerful Surveillance Capabilities The export licensing records obtained by **Human Rights Watch** originated from the Bulgarian Ministry of Economy and Industry. While records for 2025 and 2026 were unavailable, the report highlights the continued concerns surrounding these sales. Like many firms in this sector, **Circles** markets its tools as essential for combating terrorism and crime. However, human rights and digital freedom advocates have consistently documented instances of the company's technology being misused. **Circles** reportedly sold several potent tools to these governments: * **Pixcell**: Capable of capturing internet data, phone calls, and messages. * **Landmark**: Designed for real-time geolocation of mobile phones. * **Voice Over Location Enabler**: Software that leverages the **SS7 protocol** to remotely intercept incoming and outgoing voice calls and determine the locations of both parties. **Circles** was co-founded by **Tal Dilian**, the executive behind the blacklisted spyware firm **Intellexa**. In a related development, **Dilian** was found guilty in February by a Greek court on charges concerning **Intellexa**'s use to spy on various civil society members, including journalists and politicians. This report follows a May publication by **Human Rights Watch** detailing how other European surveillance technology companies, including those from Finland, Poland, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Bulgaria, have sold spyware to repressive governments. Notably, France, Greece, Spain, Germany, and Italy – also known exporters of such technology – declined to provide trade records to **Human Rights Watch** for that earlier report.