The Treasury Department has removed three individuals associated with the Intellexa Consortium and its Predator spyware from a federal sanctions list. This move reverses 2024 penalties imposed on Merom Harpaz, Andrea Gambazzi, and Sara Hamou for their roles in a corporate network that facilitated global surveillance.
The recent decision by the Treasury Department to delist three key figures linked to the Intellexa Consortium marks a significant pivot in federal policy regarding commercial spyware. Merom Harpaz, Andrea Gambazzi, and Sara Hamou had previously been sanctioned for their involvement with the organization behind the Predator spyware, which allows operators to gain full access to target devices. These individuals held roles ranging from high-level executive management to financial processing and corporate off-shoring services designed to shield the consortium from public accountability.
This reversal stands in contrast to previous executive efforts to limit the proliferation of invasive surveillance technology. Predator spyware is capable of infiltrating smartphones through sophisticated exploits, granting attackers the power to harvest private data and remotely trigger microphones or cameras. Throughout 2024, the government maintained that such tools posed a direct threat to national security, particularly after reports surfaced that dozens of government personnel had been targeted by the software.
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The removal of these individuals from the sanctions list has drawn sharp criticism from digital rights organizations and legal experts. Advocate
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