In a bid to address mounting concerns over the misuse of commercial spyware worldwide, the US authorities announced a new policy aimed at targeting individuals involved in such activities. This new policy empowers the imposition of visa restrictions on those found complicit in the misuse of commercial spyware.
“The misuse of commercial spyware threatens privacy and freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association. Such targeting has been linked to arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings in the most egregious of cases. Additionally, the misuse of these tools presents a security and counterintelligence threat to US personnel,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
The move represents the latest in a series of measures undertaken by the US authorities to counter the proliferation and abuse of commercial spyware. Earlier actions included the prohibition of the use of such spyware by the US government if it poses risks to national security or foreign policy interests.
Additionally, the Department of Commerce has listed entities engaged in the development and distribution of commercial spyware that enables the abuse of sophisticated surveillance tools.
