"Is this the beginning of the end of spyware?" 31 March 2023

Earlier this week, in a victory for human rights, U.S. President Joe Biden issued an executive order barring federal agencies from the use of foreign or domestic commercial spyware that poses a risk to national security, or has been used by foreign actors to enable human rights abuses around the world...

...This step by the U.S. was swiftly followed up by a joint commitment to international cooperation from 10 countries including Norway, New Zealand, Costa Rica – which was the first country to call for a moratorium, - and others, to put an end to the abuse of this dangerous tech...

...Commercial spyware is a dangerous weapon. Its use is incompatible with our fundamental rights. Whether the targets are human rights lawyers in Jordan or White House personnel, whether the perpetrator is a democratic government or an authoritarian regime, invasive surveillance tech has no place in any country, or any scenario. Now, it seems that several governments have started to listen to decades-long advocacy calls to dismantle the surveillance tech industry....