dilian

Enterprise

Renowned Spyware Producers Voice Concern Following US Sanctions Against Seasoned Spyware Expert

Earlier this week, the U.S. government announced sanctions against the founder of a controversial government spyware maker, Tal Dilian, and his business associate, Sara Aleksandra Fayssal Hamou. If the U.S. government thinks someone sold spyware to authoritarians and dictators, or their company’s spyware was used against the wrong targets, it will go directly after the people running those spyware companies. And people who used to work in the government spyware industry expressed concern. That’s big,” said a former head of a spyware maker that sold to governments, when TechCrunch shared the news of the sanctions with him. According to a third person working in the spyware industry, the sanctions against Dilian and his business associate Hamou should make the whole market have a moment of reflection.

Max Chen
March 8, 2024

Enterprise, Startups

Intellexa’s founder sanctioned by US for spying on American citizens

The U.S. government announced Tuesday sanctions against the founder of the notorious spyware company Intellexa and one of his business partners. This is the first time the U.S. government has targeted specific people, in addition to companies, with sanctions related to the misuse of commercial spyware. These sanctions will impact Dilian and Hamou specifically, but they will also send a message to other people involved in the spyware industry. “If I’m a mercenary spyware company, I should be getting really worried,” added Scott-Railton. And earlier this year, the U.S. government announced that the State Department could impose visa restrictions to people believed to have been involved or facilitated the abuse of commercial spyware around the world.