NEW YORK (ChatnewsTV) — Estonia, along with Austria, Lithuania, and the Netherlands, has endorsed a joint statement aimed at countering the proliferation and misuse of commercial spyware, marking a significant expansion of the initiative announced in 2023. The endorsement was made on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Sunday.
“We recognize the growing threat that spyware poses to national security and individual freedoms,” the Estonian government said in a statement, aligning itself with a group of 20 nations dedicated to curbing the misuse of surveillance technology.
Estonia joins countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan in a collective effort to enforce stricter controls on commercial spyware. The technology, which has often been used by authoritarian regimes to stifle dissent and violate human rights, is now under increased scrutiny.
“Too often, spyware is used as a tool of repression,” said the joint statement, which was initially announced at the second Summit for Democracy in 2023. The signatories stressed their commitment to establishing robust legal safeguards to ensure that commercial spyware is not exploited for malicious activities such as unauthorized surveillance or human rights abuses.
Spyware has been misused globally to target activists, journalists, and government officials, raising concerns about its impact on democracy and civil liberties. The joint initiative aims to create a legal framework that ensures any use of such technology respects universal human rights and the rule of law.
Janez Lenarčič, the EU Commissioner for Crisis Management, noted, “This is a critical step in addressing the misuse of spyware, particularly as more nations come together to counter these threats.”
With this latest endorsement, the coalition continues to push for the development of global standards on the responsible use of spyware, working with industry and civil society to ensure better regulation and oversight.
