April 23, 2024 at 03:39AM
The U.S. Department of State plans to impose visa restrictions on 13 individuals linked to commercial spyware activities targeting journalists and human rights defenders. The move aims to counter the misuse and proliferation of spyware, including recent sanctions on the Intellexa Consortium. Additionally, Kaspersky reported an increase in stalkerware victims, with a focus on Russia, Brazil, and India.
Key takeaways from the meeting notes on NewsroomSpyware / Cyber Espionage:
– The U.S. Department of State is imposing visa restrictions on individuals involved in the development and sale of commercial spyware, as well as their immediate family members. The targeted use of this technology includes the surveillance of journalists, academics, human rights defenders, dissidents, and U.S. Government personnel.
– The U.S. government has enacted a new policy enforcing visa constraints on individuals engaged in practices threatening privacy and freedom of expression, as well as countering the misuse and proliferation of commercial spyware.
– The Intellexa Consortium, sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, developed commercial spyware specifically designed to target government officials, journalists, and policy experts in the country.
– Kaspersky’s report highlighted a significant increase in the number of unique users affected by stalkerware, emphasizing the dubious marketing of such products as legitimate anti-theft or parental control apps, when in reality, they are used for stealthy surveillance and control.
These takeaways shed light on the global concerns around the misuse of surveillance technology and the actions taken by the U.S. government to address these issues.