US Blacklists European Spyware Firms Over Human Rights Abuses and National Security Concerns

The Biden administration added Intellexa and Cytrox to a federal blacklist over concerns their spyware threatens privacy, human rights, and national security.
The companies allegedly exploited vulnerabilities in iOS, Android, and Meta software to conduct surveillance on activists, journalists, and politicians.
Intellexa and Cytrox subsidiaries in Greece, Hungary, Ireland, and North Macedonia were also blacklisted.
The spyware firms join others like NSO Group that were previously added over similar allegations of enabling authoritarian regimes.
Blacklisting restricts the companies' access to US technology critical for their spyware products.