Long lines seen outside General Security's office in Beirut’s National Museum area. (Credit: Zeina Antonios)
A new online platform for making appointments to get or renew passports, meant to ease long waits in front of General Security, that was unveiled last Thursday raised some eyebrows, with Beirut-based digital rights organization SMEX accusing the site of “lacking data security and privacy measures, as well as transparency.”
Another point of controversy: the website bore a notice saying “Powered by the Hani Saliba Foundation,” a relatively new organization named after a Metn-based businessman who is running in the upcoming parliamentary elections, according to local media.
“We noticed that a new platform was emerging to facilitate passport procedures, which is a good cause,” said SMEX Executive Director Mohamad Najem. “We also noticed that the platform was powered by a candidate running for elections,” which Najem said is a potential conflict because the candidate might have access to the data and use it for campaigning purposes.
L’Orient Today tried reaching out to Hani Saliba, but did not get a response. Saliba’s political advisor, Gilbert Rizk, told Annahar that the foundation handed the website over to the government and does not have access to any information it collects. General Security did not respond to a request for comment but, in a statement posted online, said that only it has access to data collected.
Security and privacy concerns
Critics said the site lacked security safeguards because traffic doesn’t go through Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) — an internet communication protocol that helps protect the confidentiality of data and increase the security of data transfer —and it doesn’t hold a privacy policy on the data.
Najem said that the platform was not HTTPS when it was launched, which would “make it possible for a third party to access the information.” However, he noted that “they fixed it afterwards, making it more secure in terms of connection.”
The lead developer of the platform, Emile, who asked not to share his full name, disputed Najem's claim, saying that HTTPS had been implemented since the site's launch, and defended the security of the site.
“In their tweet, SMEX stated that the connection is not secure, meaning that the traffic is going through HTTP not HTTPS,” he wrote on Reddit. “However, since we are using Cloudflare [an integrated security and performance suite for web-based applications], all traffic is forced through HTTPS and if you visit the website of gs-appt.gov.lb, I assure you that you'll notice the lock sign on the top left, which indicates to you that your data is secure.”
Emile told L’Orient Today, “Hani doesn't have any sort of access to the platform in any way to process any of the data. General Security is the only entity that can access the data, and they are very serious about preserving its privacy,” he added.
Even when the platform “needed a fix they didn’t let me get access to it so I had to go physically down to the General Security building to fix it under the supervision of two of their employees,” he said.
Another issue raised by digital security advocates: The site does not include a text with a privacy policy that discloses to the users how their data will be used and by whom.
Najem noted that “we can’t create a platform and put it in public service without privacy policy and terms and conditions,” as people have the right to know where their data will be used and who has access to them.
Harm might not necessarily be caused by this platform, but the issue at stake, Najem said, is respecting privacy.
Questions about political influence
Beyond the privacy concerns, some questioned the appropriateness of a government website being funded and developed by the foundation of a candidate for political office on both privacy and political grounds.
Hani Saliba is the CEO of Haliburg Construction, a construction company operating in Nigeria, Kenya and India, according to its website, as well as Petrovoll, a Germany-based company that produces machine lubricants. Both are subsidiaries of the Dubai-based Haliburg Group, a conglomerate with a portfolio that includes hospitality, real estate and biomedicine. The company does not list its officers, but Saliba links to its website from his Twitter account.
Local media has reported that Saliba is also a candidate in upcoming parliamentary elections, running in the Metn district. Mr. Saliba could not be reached for comment prior to publication and the Interior Ministry did not respond to a request for candidate information.
The Hani Saliba Foundation was registered with the Interior Ministry in December 2020 and quickly launched several philanthropic initiatives in the Metn district including breast cancer screenings and a Christmas village in Bteghrin. Perhaps its most visible project has been a transportation subsidy for riders of four bus lines connecting Dora to the Metn municipalities of Baskinta, Mrouj, Bteghrin and Bikfaya.
The General Security passport appointment booking program appears to be the Hani Saliba Foundation’s first foray into web development, but may not be its last.
In a statement accompanying the website’s launch, the foundation called it “part of an integrated plan that includes the majority of state administrations that run citizens' businesses and aims to gradually improve these services. As the foundation is pleased that all citizens benefit from this new service, it promises to announce very soon similar projects within other ministries.”
“The Hani Saliba Foundation extends its thanks to the General Directorate of Public Security for making space and facilitating our contribution to this reform project,” the statement added.
According to General Security, the website, which has been updated to read, “With appreciation for Hani Saliba Foundation efforts” rather than “powered by,” was provided to it for free. General Security did not respond to a question about whether a tender was issued.
On Reddit, the lead developer of the site wrote that it only cost between $1,000 and $1,500. He later clarified that he was paid this amount for his services, and he does not know how much the entire project cost.
“The Passport Renewal Platform is funded by Hani Saliba Foundation. They paid for the platform's development and for additional security implementations (Cloudflare),” he said.
The new General Security site comes on the back of another program funded by the foundation that also appears intended to raise its profile.
The program, launched last September, consists of an LL5,000 subsidy for Lebanese riders of buses that agreed to sport the Hani Saliba Foundation logo on their back windows, halving the normal fare, which at the time was LL10,000. It has since increased, but the subsidy has remained LL5,000.
The program garnered attention and praise on social media, although some social media users and local media reporters were skeptical about the motivation for this act of charity, seeing as it was launched nine months before elections and happens to mainly benefit residents of the Metn electoral district, where Saliba is reportedly running.
“Now the generosity will spread from everyone until May…2022,” said one social media user sarcastically. “And no more than two days afterwards, if someone calls no one will answer the phone.”
In a statement last October, Saliba’s media office said he “did not choose the timing of our fall into the economic crisis that the country is going through. Therefore, regardless of the timing, he and his organization find themselves facing a social duty towards the people of his area and an obligation to help and stand by them.”
Update: After publication, the developer of the passport site reached out to clarify the comments he made on Reddit about when HTTPS was implemented and how much the site cost to develop. The story has been updated to reflect these clarifications.
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