Ethical Hacking News
The use of surveillance technologies has become a widespread phenomenon worldwide, with various companies and governments participating in it. A new initiative, Surveillance Watch, aims to expose these entities and their activities, helping individuals resist against mass surveillance and protect themselves from its risks.
Esra'a Al Shafei's experience with FinFisher spyware led her to expose the widespread use of these tools. A map created by Surveillance Watch tracks 695 entities, including funders and surveillance companies. Surveillance is a global trade involving authoritarian regimes and even major democracies like the US. The entities tracked include NSO Group's Pegasus spyware and Palantir, with connections to law enforcement agencies worldwide. Awareness of these entities' activities is crucial for protecting individual privacy and freedoms.
Esra'a Al Shafei's eyes widened as she recounted her experience over a decade ago when FinFisher, a notorious spyware developed by Gamma Group, masqueraded as a Firefox browser update. It was a chilling reminder of the ease with which surveillance technologies can be used to monitor individuals without their knowledge or consent. This event sparked something in Al Shafei, prompting her to dedicate herself to exposing the widespread use of these tools.
Currently, these spyware and surveillance entities are documented on a map created by Surveillance Watch, an initiative founded by Al Shafei last year. The project has grown exponentially since its launch, documenting connections between 695 entities as of now. It also tracks funders, including major backers such as In-Q-Tel, Andreessen Horowitz, and mega investment firm BlackRock.
Surveillance is a global trade, with many countries participating in this phenomenon. It's not limited to authoritarian regimes; even the US has become a leader in surveillance investments, according to reports from the Atlantic Council think tank. Companies like Palantir, Paragon, LexisNexis, and others have contracts with governments and law enforcement agencies worldwide.
The entities documented on Surveillance Watch map include NSO Group's Pegasus spyware, which was used to monitor politicians, journalists, and activists in various countries. Cytrox's Predator is another example of a well-known spy tech that has been tracked by the initiative. The project also highlights companies with US and UK government contracts, such as Palantir.
These entities have connections to law enforcement agencies and governments worldwide, which can compromise individual privacy and freedoms. In order to protect themselves from these risks, individuals must be aware of what's happening in this global surveillance market.
Al Shafei emphasizes that the more information we have about these entities and their activities, the better equipped we are to resist against mass surveillance and take steps to safeguard ourselves.
Surveillance Watch has become an essential tool for monitoring and exposing these spyware providers, allowing individuals like Al Shafei to resist against the normalization of mass surveillance.
By shedding light on this global trade in surveillance technologies, we can work together to create a safer digital world for everyone.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Surveillance-is-a-Global-Trade-The-Unseen-Risks-of-Mass-Surveillance-ehn.shtml
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/11/08/mozilla_fellow_al_shafei/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FinFisher
https://access.redhat.com/articles/7128614
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytrox
https://blog.talosintelligence.com/intellexa-and-cytrox-intel-agency-grade-spyware/
Published: Sat Nov 8 06:24:32 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
