FBI Reportedly Eyed Spyware to Hack Phones
January 31, 2022
According to allegations in recent news reports, the Federal Bureau of Investigation recently considered buying a secret spyware tool that supposedly could hack any phone within the United States. In Issues, Ron Deibert maintains that such surveillance tools reflect a growing industry. “The industry markets itself as providing governments with the means to investigate serious matters of crime and terrorism,” he writes, “but left unchecked their products have become a convenient tool for undermining public accountability and political opposition.” As a corrective, Deibert proposes a set of policy measures, including “allowing victims of targeted espionage to hold both governments and companies accountable.”