Japan, South Korea, Germany, Finland, Ireland and Poland join US-led anti-spyware agreement
It has been announced that six new countries, including Japan and South Korea, have joined an international effort to prevent the misuse of commercial spyware, suppress the spread of spyware, and share information. This brings the total number of member countries to 17.
Joint Statement on Efforts to Counter the Proliferation and Misuse of Commercial Spyware | The White House
At the Third Democracy Summit held on March 18, 2024, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Finland, Ireland, and Poland joined the international effort to combat the spread and misuse of commercial spyware.
Spyware refers to software that can infiltrate devices such as smartphones and steal sensitive data. Spyware is sometimes used by police organizations and governments as part of criminal investigations, and there are legal spywares developed for such organizations. This legal spyware is commonly referred to as commercial spyware.
Although companies that develop commercial spyware claim to have developed it legally, it can be used by malicious parties and used in ways that are far from legal. This includes the spyware Pegasus, which was developed by an Israeli company and used to hack journalists in multiple countries.
Governments around the world view the existence of commercial spyware as a problem, with countries such as the United States imposing sanctions on companies that develop spyware used to hack human rights activists and government officials, and in February 2024, a We are implementing proactive measures, including new measures to impose visa restrictions on individuals involved in
The United States is taking the lead in the newly announced ``Efforts to Combat the Spread and Abuse of Commercial Spyware.'' The goals required of member countries in this initiative are as follows:
- Cooperate within their systems to establish procedures to ensure that governments' use of commercial spyware respects universal human rights, the rule of law, and the rights and freedoms of citizens.
・Preventing the export of spyware-like software, technology and equipment in accordance with respective legal, regulatory and policy approaches and appropriate export control regimes;
・Sharing information regarding the spread and misuse of commercial spyware
- Work closely with industry partners and civil society to share information on this initiative, raise awareness and set appropriate standards, while continuing to support innovation.
- Accelerate further collaboration with partner governments and other appropriate stakeholders around the world to collectively curb commercial spyware abuse and transform the industry.
The United States, on behalf of our member states, said: ``We protect individuals and organizations at risk around the world, protecting activists, dissidents, and journalists from threats to their freedom and dignity, and from the risks of exploitation.'' 'We promote the common interest in preventing the spread of certain types of spyware.'
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