Three people connected to the Intellexa Consortium were taken off the list of specifically designated nationals by Treasury. The following people were sanctioned by OFAC in March 2024: Merom Harpaz, Andrea Nicola Constantino Hermes Gambazzi, and Sara Aleksandra Fayssal Hamou. Why they were taken off the list is currently unknown.
Predator is made to be stealthy, collecting sensitive data from compromised devices with little to no evidence of compromise. Officially, the tool is marketed for use in law enforcement and counterterrorism. However, investigations have shown a more widespread pattern of its use against members of civil society, such as politicians, journalists, and activists.
Only a few weeks prior, an Amnesty International report disclosed that a human rights attorney from Pakistan's Balochistan province was the target of a Predator attack attempt via a WhatsApp message. According to the agency, the spread of commercial spyware poses an increasing security threat to the United States and its people. It demanded that safeguards be put in place to guarantee the responsible development and application of these technologies while striking a balance between people's civil liberties and human rights.
Growing balkanization, according to the Treasury Department, is occurring as businesses divide along geopolitical lines, with some sanctioned entities moving toward areas with laxer regulation while others seek new legitimacy through acquisitions. "Rising competition and secrecy surrounding high-value exploit technologies are heightening risks of corruption, insider leaks, and attacks on spyware vendors themselves," the agency said in a statement. It is unknown whether these people are still in contact with one another or if they continue to hold the same positions.