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The Rise of a Digital Concentration Camp in Armenia

The Rise of a Digital Concentration Camp in Armenia

May 3, 2025
in Opinion, Society
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By Davit Beglaryan

Since the so-called revolution of 2018, Armenia has embarked on a democratic experiment under a new leadership. Yet for many citizens, the promise of openness has mutated into something darker—a system increasingly defined by surveillance, suppression, and centralized control. What’s unfolding in Armenia today can no longer be dismissed as isolated policy overreach. It bears the hallmarks of what some analysts call a “digital concentration camp.”

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This is not a metaphor used lightly. It describes a model where digital infrastructure—originally built to modernize society—is weaponized to monitor, manipulate, and marginalize dissent. And while such a term may provoke, it compels us to ask a critical question: What kind of state is Armenia becoming?

What Is a Digital Concentration Camp?
A “digital concentration camp” refers to a system in which advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, surveillance cameras, facial recognition, and digital databases are used to monitor, control, and suppress a population. While often associated with human rights violations and privacy concerns, such systems also represent a significant risk of government overreach. Key characteristics include:


1. Total Surveillance: Tracking individuals’ movements, communications, and activities using technology.
2. Restriction of Freedoms: Limiting expression, movement, and assembly through digital tools.
3. Social Control: Implementing systems like social credit scores to regulate access to services.
4. Digital Identification: Replacing traditional IDs with mandatory digital ones to centralize control.

In Armenia, these trends raise alarms about the increasing grip of the government over its citizens through digital technologies.

Erosion of Privacy in Armenia

Banking secrecy in Armenia effectively ended in 2018 when the acting Prime Minister Pashinyan revealed private financial information during a political campaign. In 2024, amendments to the Law on Banking Secrecy allowed the State Revenue Committee (SRC) to access any citizen’s financial records without court approval. While originally limited to criminal investigations, this new regulation grants broader access, eroding financial privacy and enabling government scrutiny of personal and social connections.

In his January 31 press conference, Nikol Pashinyan dismissed concerns about banking secrecy, claiming there’s no financial information the state can’t access. He downplayed privacy issues, stating, “Banking secrecy isn’t a sacred cow—it can be disclosed,” and even mocked vulnerable groups for worrying about it. According to him, if someone is financially secure and tax-compliant, they shouldn’t care about their private data being exposed.

Medical Confidentiality

Despite public claims that mass surveillance projects are on hold, the government has proceeded through indirect measures. Surveillance cameras have been installed on government buildings, recording not just the premises but the surrounding areas. Internet service providers have been pressured by the National Security Service (NSS) to install devices that monitor online activity. Additionally, since September 2024, data on taxi trips has been shared with the SRC, providing the government with yet another layer of insight into citizens’ movements.

The rollout of a new public transportation payment system has also raised concerns. The system requires identification, tracking all trips made via buses, subways, and trolleybuses. This comprehensive monitoring undermines the right to privacy in daily life.

Online Control and Censorship

The Armenian government has implemented measures to block unlicensed gambling and lottery websites, establishing an interagency commission to oversee internet restrictions. While framed as protecting citizens from harmful platforms, these actions mirror censorship models in countries like Russia and Turkey. In Russia, Roskomnadzor—a surveillance body initially created to protect children—now operates as a tool of total state control. Similarly, Turkey frequently shuts down gaming and social media platforms under the guise of protecting public interest. Armenia’s policies, which disproportionately favor government-affiliated gambling entities, risk becoming a similar mechanism for censorship and profit.

Conclusion

Armenia is steadily advancing toward a digital authoritarian regime. Through the erosion of financial and medical privacy, expansion of surveillance, and increased online control, the government is consolidating its power over the populace. These developments point toward the construction of a “digital concentration camp,” where technology is used not to empower citizens, but to control and monitor every aspect of their lives.

The risks of such a system are profound, threatening fundamental freedoms and privacy. As Armenia continues down this path, it is crucial for its citizens and international observers to remain vigilant, advocating for transparency, accountability, and the protection of human rights in the digital age.

Sources
1. Armbanks.am, Feb 5, 2025: https://armbanks.am/en/2025/02/05/260168
2. Panorama.am, Mar 29, 2025: https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2025/03/29/personal-data-protection/3127846
3. Eurasianet.org, Dec 2024: https://eurasianet.org/armenia-government-efforts-to-enhance-surveillance-infrastructure-fuels-privacy-concerns
4. Freedom House, 2024: https://freedomhouse.org/country/armenia/freedom-net/2024
5. ARKA.am, Jan 2025: https://arka.am/en/news/economy/armenian-taxi-drivers-issued-22-66-million-receipts-worth-27-4-billion-drams
6. EVN Report, Nov 2024: https://evnreport.com/raw-unfiltered/ongoing-yerevan-transportation-reforms
7. Hetq.am, Oct 2023: https://hetq.am/en/article/171539

  1. ACPR, May 2025

2025-05-03 – Big Brother Report (English).pdf

 

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