Google condemned a group of surveillance software companies on Tuesday, stating that they enable the use of dangerous hacking tools and urged the United States and its allies to make greater efforts to rein in the spyware industry. Spyware companies claim their products are intended for governments for national security purposes, but they have consistently been shown to be used to hack the phones of civil society members, political opposition, and journalists over the past decade. This industry has faced increased scrutiny since the discovery of the Pegasus spyware by Israeli company NSO on the phones of various global figures, including human rights defenders.
In a report released on Tuesday, researchers from Google highlighted that NSO is a well-known company, but there are dozens of smaller firms that contribute to the spread of spyware technology for harmful uses. The findings from Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, are significant as the company has the best insight into global hacking campaigns due to their widespread nature online.
Last year, the United States and several of its allies committed to working to curb the surveillance software industry after it was discovered that at least 50 U.S. government employees were targeted in 10 countries using spyware. This report from Google comes just a day after the United States announced a new policy to restrict visas for individuals described as misusing commercial spyware. Google stated in its announcement, "Limiting the ability of spyware vendors to operate in the United States helps change the incentive structure that has allowed them to continue to grow."
