The US Commerce Department on Tuesday blacklisted two European spyware companies involved in developing surveillance tools that threatened the country's national security and the privacy of individuals and organizations worldwide.
BERLIN, GERMANY - JANUARY 25: In this photo illustration a young man types on an illuminated computer keyboard typically favored by computer coders on January 25, 2021 in Berlin, Germany. 2020 saw a sharp rise in global cybercrime that was in part driven by the jump in online retailing that ensued during national lockdowns as governments sought to rein in the coronavirus pandemic.
US Blacklisted Two European Spyware Companies
According to Associated Press, the blacklisted firms, Intellexa S.A., based in Greece, and Cytrox, based in Hungary, along with related entities in Ireland and Macedonia, have been associated with Predator spyware.
This surveillance software has been widely reported to have been used for political repression, human rights abuses, and monitoring of journalists and political dissidents.
The addition of Intellexa and Cytrox to the US Commerce Department's technology export blacklist places severe restrictions on their business activities, making it illegal for US companies to engage in any trade or transactions with them.
This move is part of a broader effort by the US government to address the unchecked proliferation of mercenary spyware, which has been identified as a significant threat to national security.
Among the spyware companies previously blacklisted by the Commerce Department was Israel's NSO Group, the creator of the infamous Pegasus spyware.
The inclusion of NSO Group on the Commerce Department's Entity List happened in November 2021, signaling the US government's determination to curb the misuse of advanced surveillance technology.
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Mercenary Spyware
In March, the White House reinforced this stance with an executive order, highlighting the grave risks posed by mercenary spyware, especially its use against US government employees. Investigations revealed that numerous government personnel fell victim to the Pegasus spyware, sparking concern.
In December 2021, digital experts at the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab made a significant discovery when they detected Predator spyware on the iPhone of a prominent exiled Egyptian dissident.
This finding led to a joint investigation with Facebook, which subsequently revealed that Cytrox had customers in several countries, including Armenia, Greece, Indonesia, Madagascar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Serbia.
The reported wide-ranging use of Cytrox's spyware raised alarm among privacy advocates and human rights organizations. At that time, Cytrox operated under the umbrella of Intellexa, a shadowy alliance of companies established in 2019 with the apparent intention of competing with the notorious NSO Group.
Tal Dilian, a former Israeli general, controls both Intellexa and Cytrox. However, the exact nature of the relationship between Intellexa and Cytrox remains murky, and the Commerce Department's recent blacklist update did not provide further clarification.
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