A new US Visa restriction policy on foreigners found abusing commercial spyware to target Americans.
US Secretary Anthony Blinken announced on Monday that the new visa restriction will apply to individuals caught spying on journalists, activists, minorities, oppositions, or even family members of target individuals.
According to Blinken, the new policy is only the latest development in the US government's effort to curb down espionage activities from foreign governments and individual companies.
The Secretary highlighted how the misuse of the technology "threatens privacy and freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association."
The US government has long been alarming the bell of supposed increased surveillance on its citizens from foreign nations and state-backed criminal groups.
US President Joe Biden has already issued an executive order to prevent state agencies from dealing businesses with spyware distributors to limit their market reach.
US Gov't Records Increased Surveillance on Officials
The US government's recent actions follow several attempted cyberattacks on its facilities and authorities.
According to recent reports, at least 50 state officials have already been targeted by private hacking tools to collect critical information from them.
Just recently, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported intercepting a supposed data breach attempt from a suspected Chinese-sponsored cybercriminal group.
It did not help that insider reports suggest that China and Russia, both of which currently have tense relationships with the US, have been increasing their AI arsenal for espionage and intelligence gathering.
However, no further proofs were detailed outside of US state officials' claims. Both the Chinese and Russian governments have long since denied accusations of spying on Americans.
Related Article : China Spy Agency Employs AI System to Monitor US Officials - Reports
Known Spywares in the US
While the US government has barred state officials from accessing spyware, the companies distributing them still operate in America.
Among the most prominent was the Pegasus spyware from Israel's NSO group. According to PBS, the technology was even used to illegally gain access to over 1,000 devices across 50 countries.
This is also the same software used to spy and hack into the personal devices of human rights activists and advocates supporting Palestinians in 2020 and 2021.
It can be remembered that Israel conducted several air raids on the Gaza Strip in May 2021 that killed 260 Palestinians.
