lawrota.com

The Biden administration has escalated its efforts to combat the proliferation of commercial spyware vendors in Europe with the announcement of sanctions targeting the Intellexa consortium. This network of European firms is notorious for its sale of Predator, a mobile surveillance software widely used by foreign governments. The move is part of a broader crackdown on the shadowy ecosystem of spyware vendors whose products have been utilized against dissidents and even U.S. citizens.

Intellexa’s Predator spyware enables the covert extraction of messages, photos, and location data from mobile phones, leading to extensive surveillance of foreign politicians, dissidents, journalists, and even individuals in Europe and Africa. With Israel’s NSO Group facing constraints due to tightening export controls, foreign sanctions, and public scrutiny, Intellexa emerged as a prominent player in the spyware market.

The sanctions imposed by the Treasury Department target two individuals associated with Intellexa: Tal Dilian, the founder of Intellexa and a former Israeli general, and Sara Aleksandra Fayssal Hamou, a corporate off-shoring specialist. Additionally, five corporate entities linked to the consortium are affected: Greece-based Intellexa S.A., Ireland-based Intellexa Limited, North Macedonian-based Cytrox AD, Hungary-based Cytrox Holdings, and Ireland-based Thalestris Limited.

This action aims not only to disrupt the operations of these entities but also to send a strong message, signaling the United States’ commitment to curbing the misuse of commercial spyware globally. Moreover, the move holds symbolic significance, denting the market for similar firms engaged in questionable practices.

The timing of these sanctions coincides with the upcoming Summit for Democracy in South Korea, underscoring the administration’s dedication to addressing human rights concerns and promoting democratic values on the international stage. Last year’s summit saw the U.S. and its allies affirm their commitment to combatting the abuse of commercial surveillance tools, following an executive order prohibiting the use of spyware linked to human rights violations by executive branch agencies.

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Source: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/05/treasury-sanctions-european-spyware-maker-00144908