
New U.S.-led Actions Expand Global Commitments to Counter Commercial Spyware
09/22/2024
New U.S.-led Actions Expand Global Commitments to Counter Commercial Spyware09/22/2024 03:11 PM EDT
Office of the Spokesperson
Ahead of a groundbreaking inaugural September 22 meeting on the margins of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), the Department of State announced that Austria, Estonia, Lithuania, and the Netherlands have endorsed the
Joint Statement on Efforts to Counter the Proliferation and Misuse of Commercial Spyware. Global support for this critical initiative has continued to expand – from an initial group of 11 like-minded partners to 21 – since its launch as a Presidential Initiative 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.
At the September 22 gathering – led by the White House’s Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for Intelligence and Defense Policy Maher Bitar and Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Democracy and Human Rights Kelly Razzouk, alongside Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Dafna Rand, Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for Management and Reform Ambassador Chris Lu, and Coordinator for Digital Freedom Eileen Donahoe – member states discussed how to counter the proliferation and misuse of commercial spyware. The meeting builds
on efforts led by the United States ahead of, and at, the third Summit for Democracy, hosted by South Korea, in March 2024, and the United States highlighted recent actions it has taken, including:On September 16, the
Department of Treasury announced sanctions against five individuals and one entity associated with the Intellexa Consortium for their role in developing, operating, and distributing commercial spyware technology that presents a significant threat to the national security of the United States.On September 20, the Department of State announced that it is taking steps to impose visa restrictions on multiple individuals who have been involved in the development and sale of commercial spyware. This is the
second tranche of visa restrictions since
Secretary Blinken announced the creation of this policy in February 2024.On September 22, the Department of State announced intent to commit $3 million in programmatic funding to support (1) civil society to engage in advocacy and research around repressive misuse of spyware and capacity building for the private sector, and academia, and (2) governments in low-, middle-, and upper-middle income countries around the world to support the development of regulations and policy measures to prevent the proliferation and misuse of commercial spyware.