Google: Governments need to do more to combat commercial spyware

Google's Threat Analysis Group warns that a rapidly growing commercial spyware industry — roughly 40 vendors tracked — is enabling governments to conduct sophisticated targeted surveillance by weaponizing zero-day vulnerabilities (20 of 25 in-the-wild zero-days in 2023 linked to commercial spyware). The report documents abuses (including Pegasus infections of journalists and NGOs), highlights the industry's fluid and proliferating nature, and urges stronger regulatory, transparency and sanctioning measures while noting recent U.S. policy steps such as visa restrictions and sanctions.