At least 25 countries purchased the Predator spyware, according to research by Amnesty International. The spyware was then used to spy on politicians from the EU and the US. The findings show that European laws failed to regulate the sale of spyware, which followed the discovery of Pegasus spyware.
In a report from October 9, Amnesty International accuses Vietnam of using the spyware Predator. It is used to record audio and view messages on Android phones. There are no visual cues of the spyware on the infected device, so the victim will in most cases, have no knowledge of its presence.
The installation of the spyware is contactless and can already proceed by being physically near the victim. According to the human rights organization, the infection occurred differently. Malicious links for this would have been spread on X via the already deleted account @JOSEPH_GORDON16. A click on the link would trigger the installation process for Predator.
Through the X profile, the government targeted several Europeans and Americans: “A Berlin-based independent news website, political figures in the European Parliament, the European Commission, academic researchers and think tanks. In addition, other intended targets include United Nations officials, the president of Taiwan, U.S. senators and representatives and other diplomatic authorities.”
Intellexa alliance
Predator is a product of the Intellexa alliance. It is a group of European companies that sell spy software, whose practices were revealed on Oct. 5 in another report by Amnesty International. This report results from an investigation by the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC), an alliance of several media organizations in collaboration with Amnesty International’s Security Lab.
The organizations point out that the sales could occur despite European spyware regulations. These laws dictate to governments that the sale of this software can only take place after approval. According to the report, several governments, including France and Greece, have failed to follow these rules. But there have also been cases where export controls have been circumvented. We note a slight nuance in the story regarding the possible guilt of EU countries. According to the report, they conducted a year-long investigation into the spyware, while the EU did not take action to curb spyware until 2023.
Read also: EU Parliament wants to curb use of spyware
“The Intellexa alliance’s products can be found in at least 25 countries in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.” Within Europe, Switzerland, Austria and Germany appear to have purchased the software. The government of Vietnam is also said to have bought and deployed the software.
Nothing changed after Pegasus?
Intellexa claimed on its website to sell the spy products only in cases where the purpose of the purchase was justified. It marketed itself as an “EU-based and regulated company.” This alliance’s website is currently offline.
NSO Group, the provider of the Pegasus spyware, made a similar claim. In 2021, a joint investigation by several media organizations revealed that this spyware was used to spy on journalists and activists. Evidence was later found that the spyware also targeted politicians from European instances. These revelations led to stricter measures against spyware.
So, these laws now appear to be doing little useful in the fight against them. “The ‘Predator Files’ investigation shows what we have long feared: that highly invasive surveillance products are traded on an almost industrial scale and free to operate in the shadows, without oversight or any real accountability. It proves once again that European countries and institutions have failed to effectively regulate the sale and transfer of these products,” said Agnès Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International.
The discovery of Pegasus led to a year-long investigation by the European Parliament into the extent and impact of this spyware. The scope of the newly founded Predator may, therefore, be even greater than currently proven.
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