On September 16, 2024, the U.S. Treasury Department significantly escalated its efforts to combat the proliferation of commercial spyware by sanctioning the Intellexa Consortium. This action targets five individuals and one entity associated with Intellexa, a notable producer of the Predator spyware. The sanctions come as a response to Intellexa’s role in developing, operating, and distributing surveillance technology that poses substantial threats to national security and human rights. This move follows a similar crackdown in March, which previously targeted the consortium’s founder and other key figures.
The newly sanctioned individuals include Felix Bitzios, Andrea Nicola Constantino Hermes Gambazzi, Merom Harpaz, Panagiota Karaoli, Artemis Artemiou, and Aliada Group Inc. Their involvement in Intellexa’s operations has been linked to the deployment of Predator spyware, which has been used to target U.S. government officials, journalists, and policy experts. The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has blocked all property and interests of these individuals and entities within U.S. jurisdiction, with financial institutions and individuals warned against engaging in transactions with them.
The Predator spyware is notorious for its ability to conduct one-click and zero-click attacks, allowing it to gain full access to data stored on or transmitted from a target’s device without any user interaction. Amnesty International has described Predator as highly invasive, designed to leave no trace on the infected device, which complicates efforts to audit potential abuses. The recent U.S. sanctions are a direct response to the growing misuse of such technologies and aim to prevent further privacy violations and human rights abuses.
This latest action underscores the U.S. government’s commitment to countering the misuse of sophisticated surveillance tools while encouraging the responsible development of technology. The sanctions also reflect growing concerns about the spread of commercial spyware to state-backed actors, as evidenced by recent reports linking similar exploits to Russian state hackers. In parallel with these sanctions, efforts continue to address the broader implications of commercial spyware on global security and democratic values.
