Switzerland probes SMS service after spying allegations

Mitto says it was unaware that its technology was allegedly rented out to surveillance firms to trace individuals. © Keystone / Christian Beutler

The Swiss data protection commissioner is investigating allegations that a Swiss text messaging service, used by the likes of Google and TikTok, was secretly used to spy on people through their smartphones.

The allegations against the canton Zug company Mitto were published on Tuesday by the Bloomberg news agency and the London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

Mitto’s technology sends automated SMS messages – such as sales promotions, appointment reminders and security codes – from some of the world’s largest technology companies to their customers.  

But one of Mitto’s co-founders is now accused of collaborating with surveillance firms, some with links to government agencies, to secretly locate people via their phones.  

The media report says this is possible because Mitto has business relationships with telecoms companies in hundreds of countries.

In response, the Swiss data protection commissioner on Tuesday said it has opened a preliminary investigation into the allegations.

“As a first step, it will ask Mitto AG to comment and will also contact the mobile network operators in Switzerland,” the commissioner’s office statedExternal link.

Mitto told Bloomberg that it was unaware that its technology was being used to spy on people.

“To be clear, Mitto does not, has not, and will not organize and operate a separate business, division or entity that provides surveillance companies access to telecom infrastructure to secretly locate people via their mobile phones, or other illegal acts,” the company told the news agencyExternal link.

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism says it has spoken to whistleblowers and seen documents that support its claims.

This is not the first time that a Swiss-based company has been accused of assisting the surveillance operations of other entities.

Last year, the Zug-based company Crypto AG was at the centre of an international spying scandal that called Switzerland’s political neutrality into question.