Exposing a Global Surveillance Empire

This episode of Reveal exposes a global surveillance network built around FirstWAP, a little-known surveillance company whose software, Altimedes, can track mobile phones worldwide without leaving a trace on the device. The investigation began when journalist Gabriel Geiger discovered a massive, unsecured database containing over a million records of phone numbers and locations from 160 countries, spanning eight years. The data revealed that high-profile individuals—including Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi, who was tracking Vatican corruption, and Rwandan dissident Patrick Karagea—were secretly monitored, often without their knowledge. The investigation uncovered that the software was used not only by governments but also by private individuals and corporations, including a former driving instructor who used it to harass a woman he pursued romantically. Lighthouse Reports conducted an undercover operation at a surveillance trade fair in Prague, where they posed as a shady client and were offered a sanctions-busting deal, revealing that FirstWAP was willing to circumvent international laws. The episode raises urgent questions about digital privacy, corporate accountability, and the unchecked proliferation of surveillance technology in an era of authoritarianism and corporate espionage.