Two individuals and five entities have been sanctioned by the US government for their role in the development and dissemination of Predator mobile spyware, which is considered a national security threat.
The commercial mobile spyware Predator developed by the Intellexa Consortium has been used around the world by foreign actors to spy on journalists, target dissidents and trample on human rights. This was recently demonstrated by a report by Amnesty International Predatory spyware is spreadingnow in at least 11 countries, including Botswana and the Philippines.
“Today’s actions represent a tangible step forward in deterring the misuse of commercial surveillance tools, which increasingly pose a security risk to the United States and our citizens,” said the Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and financial intelligence Brian E. Nelson in a statement announcing the sanctions. “The United States remains focused on creating clear barriers to the development and responsible use of these technologies, while ensuring the protection of the human rights and civil liberties of individuals around the world.”