The broader problem that Privacy International says these technologies speak to is that they often end up in the hands of oppressive regimes. "Usually, these are governments that have the will, but not the technological know-how, to monitor their communications infrastructure," writes Matt Rice, a research consultant at Privacy International. This also puts anyone whose data travels internationally — something that likely occurs often for most users without their knowledge — at risk of having their information snooped on as well. While attempts at surveillance should be of little surprise at this point, Privacy International's report suggests that the issue could be broader than it appears.