Colombia is using its spy agencies to collect vast amounts of data on its own citizens without warrants, the Associated Press said based on a report by the London-based advocacy group Privacy International.

Through a system called Integrated Record System, police intelligence units have the ability to collect up to 100 million cell data and 20 million text message records per day without service providers' knowledge, the group detailed. In many cases, the government's collection of bulk data is clearly illegal, the Privacy International report alleged.

"Such unrestricted surveillance powers over the citizenry threaten the right to privacy and other fundamental rights, (and) they make a democratic order impossible," the group wrote. "Citizens are afraid of speaking, thinking and organizing themselves openly when they are faced with espionage on their communications that is disproportionate, unjust and carried out for political motives."

Privacy International did not give technical details about the data collection, though it noted that its allegations were based on purchase orders and documents, as well as confidential testimony by people working in Colombia's vast surveillance industry. The head of the country's police Gen. Rodolfo Palomino would not comment on the report, the AP added.

Carolina Botero, a privacy activist and lawyer at the Bogotá-based Karisma Foundation, noted that the Colombian government had recently pledged to better protect privacy after a series of domestic spying scandals.

"(Despite) many promises about tightening the control over intelligence and police activities, we learn that Colombian authorities, indeed, have mass surveillance capabilities over mobile and internet communications," Botero said. "It's clear that there's a long way ahead for the compliance of intelligence and criminal investigation activities with human rights standards."

The Colombian Constitution guarantees citizens' right to private communications and prohibits interceptions without a warrant. And Bogotá had not been shy about criticizing the U.S. bulk collection program when it was first revealed by NSA leaker Edward Snowden, registering its "concern" and calling the effort "unauthorized," Reuters recalled.