U.S. Treasury Sanctions Intellexa Consortium and Five Individuals Over Predator Spyware on Monday

Sep 17, 2024, 12:30 AM

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has announced new sanctions on Monday against five individuals and one entity associated with the Intellexa Consortium, the manufacturer of the Predator spyware. This move targets key executives behind the spyware, which has been used to access data on victims' smartphones, including camera and microphone functions. The sanctions are part of the U.S. government's efforts to combat the misuse of technologies that threaten national security and human rights globally. Felix Bitzios is among those sanctioned. The spyware has reportedly targeted countries such as Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Saudi Arabia. The company is headed by a former Israeli military officer.