US imposes visa restrictions to combat commercial spyware misuse

The US State Department has announced steps to impose additional visa restrictions on multiple individuals ‘who have been involved in the development or sale of commercial spyware.’

It said the action targets individuals who ‘have facilitated or derived financial benefit from the misuse of this technology, which has targeted journalists, human rights defenders, activists, and government officials from around the world.’

Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller explained in a 20 September press release, ‘These restrictions follow recent U.S. Government actions to counter the misuse of this commercially available surveillance technology, including recent financial sanctions against enablers of the Intellexa Spyware Consortium, and the U.S.-led Joint Statement on Efforts to Counter the Proliferation and Misuse of Commercial Spyware.’

Alongside his statement, the State Department announced that Austria, Estonia, Lithuania and the Netherlands have endorsed that joint statement, expanding global support from an initial group of 11 countries to 21 since the initiative’s launch at the second Summit for Democracy in March 2023.

‘The Joint Statement is part of the broader United States International Cyberspace and Digital Policy Strategy to advance digital solidarity by working closely with allies and partners to ensure digital technologies are used in a responsible and rights-respecting manner,’ it said.

At a meeting on the margins of the UN General Assembly on 22 September, member states discussed strategies to address the growing threat posed by commercial spyware, with the US highlighting recent actions, including the announcement of sanctions earlier this month against five individuals and one entity linked to the Intellexa Consortium, the Department said.

It also announced plans to host the first commercial spyware-focused Human Rights Council side event on 8 October. 

‘The event will bring together governments, civil society experts, and journalists who have themselves been targeted with spyware to discuss the growing risk that that misuse of such commercially available spyware tools poses to journalism, and how to protect journalists and their sources,’ the Department said. ‘Later this fall, the Department of Commerce will take additional actions associated with its Entity List on problematic commercial spyware vendors.’

https://www.state.gov/new-u-s-led-actions-expand-global-commitments-to-counter-commercial-spyware

https://www.state.gov/promoting-accountability-for-the-misuse-of-commercial-spyware-2/