Context: The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has signed a contract with an Israeli spyware company to access a powerful hacking software known as Graphite.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Spyware Graphite.
Spyware Graphite
Graphite is a powerful hacking software which can hack mobile phones and encrypted messaging applications.
- The spyware is designed to gain remote access to a mobile phone and essentially take control of it.
- The user of the spyware can not only access the mobile user’s photos, read their messages, and track their whereabouts, but also monitor encrypted messages sent on platforms such as WhatsApp and Signal.
- The spyware also enables the phone to be used as a listening device by manipulating its recorder.
Utility:
- Can be used to crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
Concerns:
- Can be used to facilitate the surveillance of activists and journalists. Can pose a profound threat to free speech and privacy.
- Can be used to violate people’s due process rights.
However, the firm claims that it sells its products to only governments and law enforcement agencies for the purposes of fighting serious crime. It has a zero-tolerance policy for governments that use the technology to target members of civil society.