**Georgia to Buy Cybersecurity Tools from Israeli Company**
The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) wants to buy special tools and licenses from the Israeli company Cellebrite. This will cost around 6.8 million GEL, which is about $2.5 million.
These tools can access and process data from mobile phones and laptops, even if they are locked or encrypted. They can also find important digital evidence and analyze it. The MIA wants to use these tools for three years.
Cellebrite’s products are used by law enforcement agencies and governments worldwide. However, there have been concerns about the use of similar tools in other countries, such as Serbia, where they were used to target activists and journalists.
The MIA wants to complete the purchase soon because Cellebrite has said that it may not be possible to buy their equipment later this year. The deputy head of the economic department at the MIA has written a letter to the Ministry asking for a government recommendation to make the purchase as quickly as possible.
**Concerns about Using Such Tools**
There are concerns that using these tools could infringe on people’s rights, especially in Georgia where there have been protests and police have searched activists’ homes. The MIA wants to complete the purchase soon, but it is not yet clear if they will be able to use the tools as planned.
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