The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced new sanctions on Monday targeting five individuals and one entity associated with the Intellexa Consortium, a Greece-based network of companies involved in developing and distributing the Predator spyware. The sanctions are in response to the misuse of this commercial spyware to target U.S. government officials, journalists, and political figures.Â
The Intellexa Consortium, led by former Israeli military officer Tal Dilian, developed a sophisticated spyware tool called Predator, which can infiltrate smartphones without requiring the user to click on a link or attachment. Once installed, Predator allows access to a device’s camera, microphone, and stored data. U.S. officials and cybersecurity experts have linked the spyware to mass surveillance campaigns targeting dissidents, journalists, political candidates, and opposition figures across the globe.
The Treasury Department described the Intellexa Consortium as an “international web of decentralized companies” with operations in countries including Greece, North Macedonia, Hungary, Ireland, and the British Virgin Islands. The sanctioned individuals are accused of playing key roles in the development, operation, and sale of this spyware to authoritarian regimes known for human rights abuses.
The U.S. has taken a strong stance against the misuse of surveillance technologies, with the Treasury’s sanctions being the latest in a series of actions to curb the proliferation of invasive spyware. Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Bradley T. Smith, emphasized that the U.S. “will not tolerate the reckless propagation of disruptive technologies” that undermine privacy, civil liberties, and national security.
The sanctions are part of a broader strategy that includes export controls and visa restrictions to prevent the spread of spyware. The Treasury’s actions build on earlier sanctions imposed in March, which also targeted Intellexa’s founder, Tal Dilian, and several other entities involved in the sale of the spyware. The latest sanctions are intended to cut off financial channels and prevent the consortium from further operations.
One of the entities targeted in the sanctions, Thalestris Limited, was identified as processing transactions for other companies within the Intellexa network. The Treasury also mentioned Aliada Group, directed by Dilian, for its involvement in facilitating the sale of the spyware.
Predator spyware has been used in a variety of countries, including Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Saudi Arabia, where it has been deployed to monitor and suppress opposition.
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