Social media account analysis tools in Syria have raised widespread questions regarding digital privacy and freedom of expression, amid the rapid development of artificial intelligence technologies and their ability to collect and classify data, generating concerns about the separation between public opinion analysis and the precise tracking of individuals.
Specialists in technology and law believe that the risks of these tools are not limited to the available data alone, but are closely linked to the purpose of their use, the accuracy of the extracted results, and the technical and legal guarantees governing the processing process, which requires extreme caution from users and relevant authorities.
For his part, computer engineer Hammam Jabbara clarified that tools such as Brandwatch and Talkwalker rely on artificial intelligence technologies to analyze texts and classify sentiments, but he warned of the possibility of errors in interpreting sarcasm or criticism, or drawing general conclusions from individual posts, pointing out that the risks are linked to the entities using them and the available permissions.
The technical team at the "Bab Al-Amn" cybersecurity company added that these tools collect data through official application interfaces and automated scraping, warning that linking scattered data may reveal the user's identity and relationships, which may lead users to limit expressing their opinions for fear of being tracked.
For his part, Dr. Musab Al-Shibib, Dean of the Faculty of Information Engineering, explained that the accuracy of analysis depends on the quality of data and the algorithms used, emphasizing that announcing a percentage of opposition to a decision without clarifying the sample size, selection method, or the percentage of automated accounts does not accurately reflect reality and may infringe on individual privacy.
Al-Shibib pointed out that digital interactions do not represent society as a whole, and called for independent scrutiny and comparing results with multiple sources, warning against the risks of re-identifying data owners whose identities are anonymous, leaking information, and exploiting data for phishing and social engineering.
On the legal side, lawyer Firas Haj Yahya confirmed that Law No. 12 of 2024 for the Protection of Personal Data classifies political opinions and health data as sensitive data, pointing out that collecting and analyzing data requires explicit consent or a legally permitted circumstance, otherwise it is illegal and entails fines and criminal liability.
Haj Yahya added that the law issued during the former regime needs modern legislation to regulate automated classification and the use of artificial intelligence, emphasizing the necessity of judicial oversight on surveillance for security purposes to ensure individuals' rights to access and correct their data.
Regarding official measures, the Prime Minister's Office issued a statement on January 9, 2025, prohibiting the collection of personal data via electronic forms except through the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and in April 2026, Minister of Communications Abd al-Salam Haykal confirmed efforts to regulate social media platforms to balance benefiting from them and limiting their risks.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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