The US State Department has today announced to bar 13 individuals from entering the country, as they’re involved in development and sale of spyware services.
Invoking the Immigration and Nationality Act, the US department said the individuals – without disclosing their identities – are considered as adversaries to the nation, thus levying visa restrictions.
Blocking US-Entry For Spyware Dealers
The US government has long been fighting different spyware and its makers in various forms – from early detection to privacy restoration after damage, it had done everything. While some proved effective, some didn’t.
Thus, the nation is taking a drastic step of blocking the spyware dealers from entering the country altogether, to better safeguard the vulnerable. The US state department has today announced that it identified 13 foreign individuals, “who have been involved in the development and sale of commercial spyware or who are immediate family members of those involved.”
Without disclosing their identities, the US government said it’ll bar them from entering the nation, soon. The State department draws this power from the Immigration and Nationality Act, wherein a clause states that foreign nationals can be blocked from entering the country who may cause “serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”
The State Department says “these individuals have facilitated or derived financial benefit from the misuse of this technology, which has targeted journalists, academics, human rights defenders, dissidents and other perceived critics, and U.S. Government personnel.”
In March, the US Treasury Department sanctioned Tal Dilian (founder of Predator spyware) and five other entities associated with him on the same cause. This move is now set to expand to more spyware dealers, soon.
