Spyware Firm Intellexa Hit With New US Sanctions

The US government has imposed new sanctions on Israeli spyware company Intellexa, stepping up its efforts to combat the misuse of commercial spyware technology. Intellexa, known for developing the invasive "Predator" spyware, has been linked to international surveillance operations targeting government officials, journalists, and activists.

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced these sanctions, which apply to five individuals and one entity connected to Intellexa’s operations. These sanctions are part of a broader US initiative to address the growing threat posed by commercial spyware.

Predator spyware can infiltrate mobile devices through zero-click attacks that require no user interaction, giving attackers full access to photos, messages, geolocation data, and even microphone recordings.

The spyware has been sold to state actors and governments, raising concerns about its use against opposition figures and journalists. OFAC’s latest move builds on previous US actions, including the Commerce Department’s decision to add Intellexa to its Entity List, which restricts US businesses from dealing with the company.

In a statement, Bradley T. Smith, Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, stated, "The United States will not tolerate the reckless propagation of disruptive technologies that threaten our national security."

Intellexa operates through a network of decentralized companies, with Predator being its most well-known spyware product. The individuals targeted by these sanctions include Intellexa’s founder Tal Jonathan Dilian, along with key executives Felix Bitzios, Andrea Nicola Constantino Hermes Gambazzi, Panagiota Karaoli, Artemis Artemiou, and Merom Harpaz.

The Aliada Group, a British Virgin Islands-based company tied to Intellexa, has also been sanctioned for facilitating millions of dollars in transactions connected to the spyware network.

As a result of these sanctions, all assets owned by the designated individuals and entities within US jurisdiction are blocked, and Americans are prohibited from engaging in transactions with them. The sanctions also extend to non-US persons, who could face penalties for causing or conspiring to cause US citizens to violate these restrictions, in addition to engaging in conduct that evades US sanctions.

This US action against Intellexa reflects a growing global concern over the use of commercial spyware. For instance, a previous report highlighted how a particular Android spyware infected 76,000 devices globally, a clear indication of the rising threat of invasive surveillance technology.