US to adopt new restrictions on using commercial spyware
By NOMAAN MERCHANT
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government will restrict its use of commercial spyware tools that have been used to surveil human rights activists, journalists and dissidents around the world. President Joe Biden’s order responds to growing U.S. and global concerns about programs that can capture text messages and other cellphone data. Some programs — so-called “zero-click” exploits — can infect a phone without the user clicking on a malicious link. While the U.S. and other governments routinely collect huge amounts of data, advocates warn that the commercial spyware market creates new opportunities for abuse and repression.
