The Biden Administration has introduced a new policy that imposes visa restrictions on individuals found guilty of misusing commercial spyware. This initiative targets those who have used spyware to target journalists, activists, perceived dissidents, marginalized community members, or their families. The restrictions extend to those facilitating or financially benefiting from such misuse.
The policy addresses the global concern of the increasing misuse of commercial spyware, aiming to combat repression, information flow restrictions, and human rights abuses. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed the country’s apprehension, emphasizing that the misuse of commercial spyware poses threats to privacy, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association. Such targeting has been linked to severe consequences, including arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings.
These visa restrictions come a year after President Joe Biden limited the US government’s use of commercial spyware due to its perceived threat to national
security. The decision followed a series of cyberattacks targeting US government employees in ten countries attributed to commercial spyware.
Officials state that the visa restriction policy will be applicable to citizens of any country involved in the misuse or facilitation of commercial spyware. This includes citizens of countries permitted to enter the US without a visa. The move underscores the United States’ commitment to addressing the misuse of surveillance technology and protecting individuals from unwarranted targeting and privacy violations.
Source: MSN
