US Imposes Fresh Sanctions on Intellexa Spyware Maker

On Monday, the US Treasury Department announced new sanctions targeting the Intellexa Consortium, known for its controversial Predator spyware. The sanctions affect five individuals and one entity linked to the notorious spyware, which has been implicated in numerous high-profile surveillance cases.

Previously sanctioned in March and last year, Intellexa Consortium’s continued evasion tactics prompted these latest measures. Senior officials revealed that the Consortium had been actively circumventing the initial sanctions by shifting funds and selling Predator through alternative entities. This move aims to dismantle the company’s complex web of corporate structures designed to elude accountability.

Predator spyware is renowned for its ability to infiltrate devices via one-click and zero-click attacks, allowing users to track, monitor, and extract data from victims’ smartphones without their knowledge. The Biden administration has flagged a campaign targeting over 50 US government workers across ten countries, although specific details of these breaches remain undisclosed.

Among those sanctioned are Felix Bitzios, linked to a firm selling Predator to a foreign government, and Andrea Nicola Constantino Hermes Gambazzi, responsible for financial operations within the Consortium. Other individuals sanctioned include Merom Harpaz, Panagiota Karaoli, and Artemis Artemiou. The Treasury also sanctioned Aliada Group Inc., based in the British Virgin Islands, for facilitating financial transactions for Intellexa.

Bradley Smith, Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, emphasised that the US is committed to combating the spread of disruptive technologies that jeopardise national security and personal privacy. The new sanctions are part of a broader strategy to curb the spyware industry’s influence and hold accountable those promoting exploitative technologies.

The sanctions come as new evidence suggests that Predator has continued to secure clients, including officials from countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola, despite previous restrictions. The US plans to address commercial spyware further at the upcoming UN General Assembly, aiming to broaden international commitments against misuse of such technologies.